Adieu, farewell, earth's bliss, p. 316

From the first stanza in this poem, irony is evident, “Adieu, farewell, earth’s bliss;/this world uncertain is;/fond are life’s lustful joys;/death proves them all but toys;”, where fond is used to mean foolish. The poet is blatantly stating that no matter what pleasure one may have found on earth, death will supersede them all.  Also, the constant repetition at the end of every stanza are the lines, “I am sick, I must die./Lord, have mercy on us!”, which proves the poet’s desire to part with the earth and enter the afterlife with the line “I must die”, yet he ironically also states “Lord, have mercy on us!”, even though he has already manifested his belief that death is more welcoming than life. The poet also makes a couple allusions to Greek mythology, specifically the Trojan War, when he references Helen and Hector. With both lines, “Queens have died young and fair;/Dust hath closed Helen’s eye” and “Worms feed on Hector’s brave;/Swords may not fight with fate,” he is referring to the inevitably of death, and also how accomplishments made on earth have no bearing on death. He further reinstates this idea with the final stanza “Haste,  therefore, each degree,/To welcome destiny;/Heaven is our heritage,/Earth but a player’s stage;/Mount we unto the sky./I am sick, I must die./Lord, have mercy on us.” This stanza basically says that everyone dies in the end, but heaven is where we are destined to be. The main idea that the poet is conveying with this work is that death should not be something that is feared, rather something that should be embraced.

The first time I read this poem, I did not pay too much attention to the specific diction used by the poet, and I interpreted the poem as being about regretful about death. However, upon a second, more analytical look at the poem, I noticed the irony that the poet uses, and how it completely changes the meaning of the work. The poem gives an alternate view to death which most authors do not express. This is a rather optimistic portrayal of death and offers a unique perspective on a frequently written about topic.

Siren Song, p. 271

From the title of the poem, the word “siren” alludes to Greek mythology, in which Sirens were deadly creatures, whom tempted sailors with their mesmerizing song, which always, inevitably led to their deaths.  The poet addresses the audience from the perspective of a Siren, as revealed first on line 10, “will you get me/out of this bird suit?”, referring to the fact that Sirens are oftentimes portrayed with the body of a bird. By speaking in a common, colloquial manner, the audience feels a connection to the Siren, and therefore listens to her when she speaks of her plight. “I don’t enjoy it here/squatting on this island/looking picturesque and mythical.” However, employing the use of irony, the Siren is actually utilizing her skill to seduce the audience directly into their downfalls, “Alas/it is a boring song/but it works every time.”

Upon reading this poem, it seems as though the poet is warning the audience against their own gullibility. By taking advantage of their curiosity about the Siren, she entices them into the poem, yet also to their figurative death. Sirens are commonly known to lead countless sailors to their death by calling their attention over to them, therefore steering their ship into their island, and crashing it. With this poem, the poet is essentially doing the exact same thing. She is pointing out a fault in human nature in which human beings ignore logic and reasoning, and succumb to their ignorant emotions.