Sirens In The Odyssey

Although having pride in yourself may be a positive in moderation, being too proud of oneself will lead to nothing. Many who look down on others will never learn from their peers, and will only boast of their own achievements. In the poems from “The Odyssey Book 12” by Homer and “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, both authors write of Odysseus’ struggle regarding the Sirens. Sirens are half-woman, half-bird creatures who use their music to tempt sailors to shipwreck on islands or to jump off the boat to their death. They call out to him on his journey back home, trying to get him to come to them. The Sirens sing of his great accomplishments, and use flattery to lure him out. These poems show that arrogance and vanity will get one nowhere.

The use of Sirens in the journey is both used in the The odyssey and O Brother Where Art Thou. In The Odyssey, Odysseus passed circe’s council, then they go to the island of the sirens. When they arrive the captain plugs his shipmates ears with beeswax. In O brother Where Art Thou the crew was in the car and one of them told the others to stop the car. When they did they got off the car, they went down a hill and found three women.

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.

The sirens say that they dont like what they do in the poem they feel bad about the people they kill and they no longer want to keep doing that they no longer want to kill people its like there being forced to do stuff that they dont want to do. To them Odysseus was just another dead man,just another person passing through with his men,just more victems, even though what they do seems crule they realy hate there job they seem sad about it. In book 12 they talk about how the sirens are evil killers and Odysseusis the main character but to him the sirens are just another obsticle one that he knows he can overcome like all the other monsters he faced befor them even though he chose to suffer by not covering his ears with bee wax he still servived.

Homer's portrayal of Circe and the Sirens in the Odyssey affirms the stereotype that women are manipulative. In the Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew have sailed to Aeaea, the home of Circe, a goddess with a human voice that tricks them into following her into her home where she drugs them and turns them into pigs. In the quote, it states, “she came out and flung open the bright doors and invited them in. They all filed in naively behind her, except Eurylochus, who suspected a trap. When she had led them in and seated them she brewed up a potion of pramnian wine with cheese, barley, and pale honey stirred in, and she laced this potion with insidious drugs that would make them forget their own native land”(10.246-254). Homer uses diction in the phrases “flung open bright doors”, “filed in naively behind her”, and “laced this position with insidious drugs” in the section of the text to show Circe as manipulative.

In all three works of art, the epic poem (The Odyssey), Atwood’s poem (“Siren Song”), and Waterhouse’s Ulysses & The Sirens, all portray the Sirens differently by the author's tone. Waterhouse uses art to set the dramatic and threatening tone while The Odyssey uses poetry to set the dramatic tone. The tone of Atwood’s poem depicts the Sirens as being mischievous yet bored.

In the Odyssey by Homer, the Sirens are an obstacle in which Odysseus and his crew must encounter. The "Odyssey" and Margaret Atwood's poem "Siren Song" portray the Sirens differently by using tone and point of view. Both poems include the Siren, but they are seen differently by the use of the poetic devices. The poetry in the Odyssey has a tone that includes fear and suspense. As the ship gets near the Sirens, Odysseus and his crew start to worry if they would accomplish their journey alive.

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 are dangerous ladies who lure men to their deaths with their voices. Odysseus becomes the first mortal to live to tell the tale, because he has his men tie him to the mast while they plug their ears and sail on by. A situation that I can compare this to in real life could be when people hear things they like and try to go after them even if things could end up bad. This could happen to someone that hears about a party that’s going to have illegal things happening there. You just need to plug your ears and tie yourself to your house and not go get in

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.

Half- birds, half women sirens. Torture. Terroir. All these occurred in Homer’s The Odyssey, John Waterhouse painting, and The Attic painting.

Analyzing different mediums can enhance an individual’s overall appreciation and understanding of a particular idea or story. While analysis of a painting can reveal the mood of the artwork, an analysis of a poem can reveal the author’s tone. Much more then that, analysis provides an opportunity to explore each work in an attempt to understand human nature through each author’s perspective. While exploring the painting “Ulysses and the Sirens” by J.W. Waterhouse and the poem “The siren song” by Margaret Atwood, a universal truth presents itself. While the painting focuses on the thematic idea of Odysseus being stubborn while his men care for his safety to get home, the poem holds a different view. In contrast, the thematic statement from the poem discusses the idea that the Siren hates singing and being in a bird suit, but is asking for help but it’s still tempting to hear the song. Although differing in point of view, both the painting and the poem explore an aspect of human nature that are relevant to society today. There are two different authors for the painting and the poem. However, the two are different when compared to each

The poem The Sirens and the episode containing sirens in The Odyssey contain similarities that expose the theme of temptation. For instance, the sirens claim that their “green isle” is a place where one could “rest forevermore” in the poem, and they call to Odysseus as well, telling him how no one had passed the sirens without listening to them, and how they always received “a great treat.” Both of these examples show the sirens deception, how they are trying to fool men into thinking of a beautiful island with flowers and green grass when reality presents a manifest of death and evil, with each siren sitting atop a mound of bones.

The poem Siren Song by Margaret Atwood follows the narrative of a siren, a mythical creature known for drawing sailors in with their singing and leading them towards death. The siren is not content with her life “squatting on an island/ looking all picturesque and mythical.”. She calls the song, which she uses to lure sailors in, a boring song. She stated at the end that, though she does not like the song, “it works every time,” so she must resort to it. The poem describes the siren song as a cry for help that is irresistible to all who hear it.

In Homer’s “The Odyssey” the sirens are depicted as dangerous creatures who are set out to ruin the men’s lives through alluring voices. Evidence of this can be seen when Circe tells Odysseus that there is,”no wife rising to meet him”(12.48) who draws to close to the sirens, and that there will be “no happy children beaming at their father’s face”(12.49). By these quotes, it is evident that emphasis is placed on the man and that the sirens (the women) will ruin his