Poetry Explication: Siren Song

This poem in its entirety is what it claims to be merely about. The speaker claims to be discussing a "siren song", speculating what it is about, and what makes it so "irresistible." The second and third stanzas allude to the legends of Siren’s song, that men would leap overboard to reach the Siren’s despite knowledge of imminent death. Both stanzas are formed in similar manner, beginning with “the song”, with lowercase letters, like an ongoing reminiscence. The tone for the rest of the poem is set here: speculative, wondrous in the mystery, and moreover, grim (“anyone who has heard it is dead” (9).)

The structure and rhythm of the poem are interrupted by the fourth stanza, which begins with a capitalized word “Shall” (10) and if in the form of a question. Here, the intrigue is introduced. Framed by the reflections of the legend in previous stanzas, the curiosity of the reader is provoked. Furthermore, curiosity is spiked when the speaker mentions that they are donning a “bird suit”. The reader is propelled further by wonder and intrigue.

The following two stanzas, encompassing lines 12 to 18, begin to appeal to stereotypical desires of man, to be powerful, heroic, and a rescuer of a damsel in distress. The image of a damsel in distress is constructed by the two identical lines which say “I don’t enjoy it here…”

The following stanza further appeals to men by making them feel “unique”, a rescuer “Help me!”, and special “I will tell the secret to you, to you, only to you.” All appeals are made to the male reader, curiosity and bravado are piqued, and the reader is drawn: what is the siren’s song?

The final stanza reveals that the entire poem is the song of the Siren. It is understood when the speaker says “it works every time” that the reader (male figure) has been drawn into the Siren’s grip, and as revealed by the tonal shift, from intriguing and sensuous to plain and bored, that the reader has perished like the men whose “beached skulls” are a failed reminder to others of the dangers of temptation.