Siren Song (Poem Summary)

Poem Summary

Lines 1-3

Although the poem’s title may initially be confusing (it could refer to the sound of an ambulance siren, for instance), by the end of line 3, we have enough information to realize that the poem is about creatures from Greek mythology who were part woman and part bird. Known for their irresistible singing, the Sirens lured and killed mariners who passed by their island. Most accounts provide for three Sirens — named Parthenope, Ligea, and Leucosia — and the most famous story involving them is found in The Odyssey. In these first three lines of “Siren Song,” the speaker declares that everyone would like to have the power of irresistibility that the Sirens possess via their song.

Lines 4-9

These stanzas continue the myth of the Sirens by giving more details about their “irresistible” song. So powerful was the lure of the melody that sailors, even though they saw “the beached skulls” of previous human victims, willingly leaped overboard to meet their fate. The phrase “others can’t remember” may refer to Odysseus, who resisted the Sirens by having his crew tie him to his ship’s mast, or the Argonauts, who were protected from the Sirens by Orpheus.

Lines 10-12

In this stanza, we discover that the poem’s narrator is actually one of the Sirens. She explains that she is unhappy and asks for help to escape her situation — to get out of her “bird suit.” For this, she is willing to betray the other Sirens by revealing the secret of the song and, thus, rendering them powerless.

Lines 13-18

In these two stanzas, the narrator expounds upon the reasons for her unhappiness. While outsiders may view her as “picturesque and mythical,” this Siren claims to be miserable; she doesn’t like to sing and she characterizes her two cohorts as “feathery maniacs.” By sharing her feelings of unhappiness with the reader and distancing herself from the other Sirens, the narrator presents herself as a sympathetic figure rather than as an uncaring and deadly creature.

Lines 19-24

The Siren continues to address the reader personally, hinting that she seeks friendship and insisting that her song is not one of enticement but is, instead, a cry for help. These six lines can simultaneously be interpreted in two ways. If one believes that the Siren is unhappy and wants to escape, he or she would view the Siren’s willingness to share her secret as a token of appreciation for helping her. A more cautious or cynical observer would judge the Siren as playing on the reader’s sympathies and question why he or she needs to “come closer” to hear the secret.

Lines 25-27

The poem’s last three lines, beginning with the word “Alas,” reveal the true nature of the Siren: she is cunning and without conscience. She casually notes that although her song is “boring,” it “works every time.” Indeed, she seems to lament the fact that her task is so easy, due to the stupidity of her victims.

Media Adaptations

• A recording titled The Poetry and Voice of Margaret Atwood was released by Caedmon in 1977.
• An audiocassette of Jan Castro’s interview with Margaret Atwood is available from the American Prose Library.