Siren Song by Margaret Atwood This is the one song everyone would like to learn: the song that is irresistible: the song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons even though they see the beached skulls the song nobody knows because anyone who has heard it is dead, and the others can't remember. Shall I tell you the secret and if I do, will you get me out of this bird suit? I don't enjoy it here squatting on this island looking picturesque and mythical with these two feathery maniacs, I don't enjoy singing this trio, fatal and valuable. I will tell the secret to you, to you, only to you. Come closer. This song is a cry for help: Help me! Only you, only you can, you are unique at last. Alas it is a boring song but it works every time. Margaret Atwood, “Siren Song” from Selected Poems 1965-1975. Copyright © 1974, 1976 by Margaret Atwood. Reprinted with the permission of the author and Houghton Mifflin Company. Source: Poetry (February 1974).

Read Margaret Atwood’s “Siren Song” and answer the questions below. Your reading of the text should inform your answer selection.

What is the distinguishing characteristic of the first-person narrator? o

A. helplessness

o

B. lyricism (musicality)

o

C. irresistibility

o

D. sadism

What should serve as the most obvious warning to the siren’s audience (the one to whom she is speaking in the narrative frame)? o

A. the bleached skulls

o

B. the fact that no one knows the siren song

o

C. the feathered maniacs

o

D. the siren’s desire to escape

What does the siren do to build her ethos (credibility/believability) with the audience she addresses? o

A. she admits her lethal history

o

B. she assures audience he/she/they can trust her

o

C. she insults the other sirens

o

D. she confides her hatred of her bird suit

What audience susceptibility does the siren target (audience = the one to whom the siren is speaking)? o

A. anger

o

B. fear

o

C. vanity

o

D. greed

Explain WHY you chose the answer you did for the last question. Be sure to reference the text in support of your explanation. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Describe the ironic relationship between stanzas three and four. Be sure to reference the text in support of your description. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Describe the effect of this irony. __________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Identify THREE words that you think are particularly well-chosen/best support the impression the poet is trying to create. ____________________________________________________________________________ Analyze the effect of one of these words in the text. Your analysis should be exhaustive. Consider the word from ALL angles. How does it impact the poem? How would the poem be different if the word were omitted or a different word were chosen? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________