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.