Both Homer's epic The Odyssey and Margaret Atwood's poem "Siren Song" underscore the enchanting but deadly temptations of the alluring mythical sirens. While both poems incorporate first-person points of view, their perspectives, as well as their tones, differ drastically. The former, making use of aggressive diction and the latter, making use of persuasive diction, show difference of objectified and humanized women. While both demonstrate similarities, they also have radical differences.
"Siren Song" and The Odyssey both are told from a first-person point of view but their perspectives of male and female is just one of the many differences between the two works.In the former, Margaret writes, "This is the one song that everyone would like …show more content…
In the text Homer states, "Now with a sharp sword I sliced an ample wheel of beeswax down into pieces, kneaded them in my two strong hands and the wax soon grew soft worked by my strength and Helios' burning rays, the sun at high noon, and I stopped the ears of my comrades." By using words such as "sharp sword," "sliced," "kneaded," "strength," and "burning rays" Homer wants the reader to feel the masculinity that radiates off of the great Odysseus. This great strength and aggressiveness makes the sirens seem like merely a toy for the men. In the "Siren Song," Margaret Atwood writes, "This song is a cry for help: Help me! Only you, only you can, you are unique." Mrs. Atwood's diction makes the reader feel special and this is how the siren persuades them into helping her. The diction makes the sirens seem intellectual and humanized. The difference of the two dictions shows how the sirens are portrayed …show more content…
The 19th line of the former, it reads, "So they sent their ravishing voices out across the air and the heart inside me throbbed to listen longer." This quotes exhibits the theme of enchanting but deadly and also helps the reader to understand how deadly the song is.The song is alluring and leaves Odyssey and the reader longing for more.This tone is the opposite of the one Margaret Atwood is trying to get across, she writes, "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." The authors wants the reader to be left with a very discontent and bored tone. The author and siren wants to make the song sound like it isn't that special and in turn not deadly either. Once again, the tone portrays the sirens to be more humanized in "Siren Song" rather than objectified as they appear in The