The Odyssey and Sirens Song In The Odyssey by Homer and in Siren's Song by Margaret Atwood, the sirens are discussed, but are represented very differently. The sirens are said to be the daughters of the river god, Achelous. They sing enchanting songs that lure men to their island. No one knows what the song is though, for every man who’s ever heard it, cannot stop themselves from going to the island. The Odyssey however portrays them much differently than Sirens Song. They have similarities like singing to passing men, and differences like how they are portrayed. In Siren's Song the sirens are shown as innocent, and helpless beings who are victims. During the poem one of the sirens sings to any man passing by, “Come closer. This song/
In the book Odyssey and the film O Brother, Where Art Thou shows many ways how the hero’s journey are used throughout. The reading Odyssey is about a man that goes on a adventure for ten years and faces many challenging problems. For example cyclops, zeus, and . In the film O Brother, Where Art Thou a group of three runaway slaves are being hunted and face many challenges similar to Odyssey. The film O Brother, Where Art Thou and Odysseys are similar because O Brother, Where Art Thou is modernized through the reading Odysseys.
Through the imagery of both Homer and Margaret Atwood we see the difference in the Siren’s attitude in each poem. In The Odyssey, the Siren says, “honeyed voices pouring from our lips.” This imagery is a seductive tactic used by the Siren to lure the men closer. Odysseus tells us that his heart wanted more. This shows how the desire to get closer to the Siren was toxic. In “Siren Song” the Siren uses imagery to mock herself and make the reader feel bad for her. She tells us that she is “squatting on the island looking picturesque and mythical.” It is inferred that she is simply unhappy and bored where she is.
To go home, back to Ithaca, Odysseus had to pass the sirens, which could have lead them to their death. Sirens sing songs that make sailors interested in going to where they are and it usually leads them to their death. When they were about to pass the sirens, Odysseus made sure they wouldn't listen to them. “I carried wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears,” (Homer 982.2:43-44) This is when they were passing the sirens and Odysseus took care of the others so they wouldn't hear the sirens and only he could. When Odysseus and the others had to go to the Lotus Eaters Island, he made sure no one ate the lotus plant/flower because he knew the dangers of it. “I drove them… all hand aboard, come no one taste the lotus.” (Homer 967.1:50-54)
The Sirens in the Odyssey represent more than just a maritime danger to the passing ship. They are the desires of man that he cannot have. The Sirens can also be construed as forbidden knowledge or some other taboo object. Whatever these singing women actually are, the sailors are wise to avoid them. As usual, the wily Odysseus cheats at the rules of the game by listening to their song under the restraints constructed by his crew.
There is still one more monster in the Odyssey, the one I deem the most monstrous. The Sirens. They might not sound like much when you first hear about them, but when you really think about it they are absolutely terrifying because of how they kill you. The Sirens don’t just eat you or suck you down a hole. They kill you with desire.
Margaret’s style was prose fiction and known for her feminist perspective. “The Siren Song” is a perfect example of her style. She wrote about prose fiction which is, Classical Greek (romances) Usually as long as a short novel. She wrote amazing books, poems, etc. people loved all of them. Many people or classes such as this one still read poems by her. Her interest in Greek is amazing from the stories she makes. An extraordinary person for amazing books. (Atwood, Margaret. “The siren song.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.)(Atwood, Margaret. “The siren song.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Nov.
Homer and Atwood showcase the multifaceted nature of the myth of the Sirens through various perspectives, with varying tones, and utilizing imagery. Homer recounts the narrative of a man sufficiently shrewd to hear the siren's tune and not lose his life; meanwhile Atwood portrays a siren, alluring men to her island to trap them. Although the tones differentiate from each other within the two passages, both utilize cleverness with trickery. Odysseus runs with his life secure, and the Siren feels accomplished; her “boring song…works every time.”
Both poems share a first person point of view and their authors use different examples to portray the Sirens. In the Odyssey, the reader obtains a bias from Odysseus and how he personally views the Sirens. While in the “Siren Song “ the reader acquires a point of view from a Siren herself. In both poems they are portrayed as flattering to deceive. An example from the Odyssey is “
Sirens are known to be creatures that caused many deaths of sailors. In Homer's "The Odyssey" sirens are relentless beings who sing to capture sailors to destroy their ships and murder them. In Atwood's "Siren Song" the sirens are portrayed as beings trying to escape this curse they were born with. In the "Siren Song", the narrator of this poem despises the life she has.
Half naked woman, the sirens are pretty attractive. In Homer's poem, The Odyssey has a variety of different way's The Odyssey is told. Although the sirens have fabulous looks, they can be deceiving. Their beautiful music can lure men to jump of the side of passing boats.
I’ve had many memorable moments in my lifetime, but one stands out more than the others. When I watched the Clemson Tigers win the College Football National Championship, I thought I would never see something as exciting ever again. This was the very moment that stands out from the rest.
While a multitude of factors creates of the human condition, there is none as certain as our mortality. In fact, the aspect of mortality is so essential to the human condition that without it, we could not be deemed truly human – man is not perfect, and his imperfections are conceived in the form of our vulnerabilities to suffering and death. Both Homer’s The Odyssey and Sophocles’s Oedipus the King place emphasis on the prevalence of mortality and human vulnerabilities throughout each narrative, creating a profound discussion concerning the inevitability of death and the manner in which we must make meaning of our own oblivion.
This short essay will identify five traditional epic characteristics that are evident in both the Iliad and the Odyssey.
The characters in Greek Mythology have multiple interpretations. Among these characters include the dangerous, yet gorgeous Sirens, bird-women who sit on a cliff singing bewitching songs that captivate the minds of innocent travelers and entice them to their deaths. In Homer’s The Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s “Siren Song,” both poets provide different representations of the Sirens. Homer portrays the Sirens as irresistible in order to establish men as heroes, whereas Atwood depicts them as unsightly and pathetic so she can prove men are foolish and arrogant using imagery, diction, and point of view.
The Iliad and The Odyssey are tales written by Homer centered on the drama of the Trojan War. First poem deals with the time during the end of the war, while the latter, which occurs roughly ten years later, explains the disastrous journey of Odysseus fighting his way back home. The character of women in the Odyssey is to exhibit the many and diverse roles that women play in the lives of men. These functions vary from characters such as the goddess ' that help them to the nymphs who trick them. Women in the Iliad exhibit their significance in the lives of the ancient Greeks because they are so prominent in a world so dominated with military relations.