The Role Of The Sirens In Odyssey's Siren Song

Due to unique life experiences, each person may view the same situation differently. This can be especially true of men and women, who in the past have had different views of the world due to societal expectations and gender roles. One possible difference between a man’s perspective and a woman’s perspective is clear in Margaret Atwood’s retelling of Odysseus passing the Sirens from Homer’s “Odyssey” in her own poem, “Siren Song.” Different characteristics of the sirens are highlighted in each interpretation of the story. Through the authors’ contrasting uses of tone, point of view, and specific diction to describe the Sirens, it is apparent that Atwood portrays them as being more manipulative, while Homer’s story focuses on their desirability.

The Sirens’ skill is downplayed as Odysseus also discusses his own.
The tones used by Odysseus and the Siren in “Siren Song” differ, which affects how the Sirens are portrayed.

In “Odyssey,” the tone is largely boastful. Odysseus often references his own skill or the skill of his crew as they attempt to pass the Sirens. The tone shifts briefly as Odysseus passes the Sirens to express his longing, but it quickly returns to being prideful. The Siren speaking in Atwood’s poem, however, is focused less on being boastful and more on being manipulative. On the surface, the tone is calm, but there is something more. As she beckons the reader to come closer, it is clear that she is trying to trick him into coming to his death. These contrasting tones show how the Sirens are viewed in each work. In the former, Odysseus’s insistence on boasting both before and after passing the Sirens shows that he downplays their skill. He sees himself as the more skillful one, even though he had to be restrained to stay alive. Atwood’s poem, however, illustrates the Siren’s true strength through the subtle manipulation present. In this way, tone helps develop the Sirens’ different

portrayals.
The narrators’ points of view also contribute to the Sirens’ portrayals.

While both works are written in first person, the narrators’ opinions differ because of their situations. As a famous man, Odysseus puts more weight on his own experience than on the Sirens’ song. As soon as they could “hear their song no more,” he stops focusing on the Sirens. By moving on quickly from the Sirens and concentrating on his success, Odysseus once again downplays their cunning nature. It is clear from Greek mythology that the Sirens are really deadly and enchanting, but because of Odysseus’s prideful perspective, they are seen as more of a manageable threat. Atwood, in contrast, shows more of the Sirens’ true nature through her poem’s perspective. The Siren uses her status as a woman to appeal directly to the men who pass. She uses the feelings of superiority that men like Odysseus have to her advantage when she says, “This song is a cry for help: Help me!” By appealing to the damsel-in-distress situation that entices many heroes, the Siren uses her feminine point of view to accomplish her ultimate task of luring men to their death. Both narrators’ depictions of the Sirens are influenced by their unique perspectives, although Atwood’s poem once again shows the Sirens as more

threatening.
The narrators’ diction is also important in their portrayals of the Sirens. While Odysseus refers to his crew as “steadfast” and discusses his own strength, he does not describe the Sirens with these same powerful terms. Instead, words like “honeyed” and “ravishing” are used to describe them. This shows that he focuses more on the Sirens being desirable than cunning. He attributes their danger to their attractive voices, rather than the actual words they are saying. The Siren, on the other hand, references her own skill. She says her song “forces men to leap overboard…even though they see the beached skull.” The power of the verb “force” that she uses is comparable to the terms of strength that Odysseus uses to describe his men. As a result, Atwood’s poem shows the Sirens as having more power—power that equals that of Odysseus’s men, and even exceeds it, seeing as their song overwhelms men’s common sense.
Ultimately, Atwood’s portrayal of the Sirens shows their unabashed strength, while Odysseus’s portrayal limits the description of their power because he also focuses on his own. Odysseus’s boastful tone and the superiority he expresses because of his status as a famous man work to create this portrayal, along with the powerful adjectives he uses. The Siren’s manipulative tone and acknowledgement of her skill despite her status as a woman (or even because of it) communicate a different idea.