"Siren Song" AP Poetry Practice

The poetic works of Homer and Margaret Atwood use varying techniques to portray the mythological Sirens as fatally seductive.

The Sirens’ selection of detail is important in the “Siren Songs” of both works.  The Odyssey’s Sirens sing of their “honeyed voices pouring from [their] lips” (17).  This imagery is sweet, smooth, and tempting.  Their song beckons Odysseus to throw himself overboard with their seductive diction.  Odysseus acknowledges their beauty, noting the “ravishing” nature of their voices and how “the heart inside [him] throbbed to listen longer” (20).  Their multi-faceted attractiveness helps the Sirens to begin to lure Odysseus into their trap.  Similarly, Atwood’s Siren Song creates a physically tempting image of the singer. The singer describes herself as “picturesque and mythical” (15).  She also contrasts herself with her fellow Sirens, calling them “feathery maniacs,” and she asks her audience for salvation (16, 21).  Not only does her description of her situation make her appear more beautiful in comparison with her surroundings, but it also conveys a false impression of innocence and vulnerability, both of which are usually considered appealing characteristics of women.  Both sets of Sirens come across as desirable women in order to tempt and seduce their audience.

While the Sirens make themselves appear to be beautiful and vulnerable, both works make it clear to the omniscient reader that the Sirens are in fact deceiving and murderous.  Both target the specific person who is listening to the song.  In the case of The Odyssey, the Sirens refer to “famous Odysseus—Achaea’s pride and glory” (14).  Odysseus, notorious for his hubris, will likely be tempted by their flattery of him.  They also lie to Odysseus, telling him he will grow in wisdom from hearing their song (18).  Odysseus may feel tempted to leap to them in pursuit of knowledge because he may not realize that they are being dishonest and deceptive.  In Atwood’s poem, the Sirens give the listener a sense of self-importance, telling him two different times, “Only you”: only you, the listener, deserve to hear my song, and only you can save me from this cliff (19, 23).  A proud sailor may feel that attending this singing creature is his duty, if he is that necessary to her.  He does not realize that the Sirens probably says that to every traveler that passes by, all of whom take the bait and jump to their deaths.

A notable difference between these two works is where the reader derives background information on the Siren Song.  Odysseus knows better from the start.  He knows the seductive power of the Sirens, which is why he orders his men to tie him to the mast.  While the reader of the epic can still be impressed by the seductive, albeit dishonest, nature of the song, he may not feel pity for Odysseus because the hero knows exactly what he is in for.  In contrast, “Siren Song” is more tragic because the listener does not realize the danger of the song until it is too late, even though he has already heard the brutal honesty of the Sirens in the second stanza.

Pride and Prejudice #9

When Elizabeth finally visits Mr. Darcy at his estate, it is clear that he is in his element.  The reader sees him outside of his niche early in the novel, particularly during the balls, loud gathering of people he does not know who are expecting him to dance and mingle.  Since Darcy feels painfully uncomfortable in new social situations, he comes across as aloof and indifferent at the ball.  This first impression of Darcy sets up a contrast with Elizabeth's more developed perception of him later in the book.

When she goes to Pemberly, Darcy is dramatically more cordial and friendly.  His housekeeper provides a notable example of this new image of Darcy, raving to Elizabeth about how handsome Mr. Darcy is and about how she wishes that he were home even more often (206-207).  Darcy's initial impression at Pemberly is as an extremely lovable man, an impression upon which he expands when he arrives on the scene in person.  He shows incredible hospitality to the entire visiting party, and he is confident now that he is on his own impressive but classy property.  Now that the setting is his choice, Darcy is no longer feels the need to defend is social incompetence by pulling insults for Elizabeth out of the air, as he does at the ball.  Instead, he appears to be a mature and lovable gentleman.

Pride and Prejudice #8

The reader sees some development of Lydia's character in Chapter 16 of Volume II. Lydia is very youthful and lighthearted. She is amused easily by superficial pleasures, such as her new bonnet, which she concedes is not very pretty, but she bought it impulsively because it was prettier than the other that we're on display. Her inability to control her shopping habits demonstrates her innocent immaturity.

This immaturity also manifests itself in her inability to control what comes out of her mouth. For example, she does not hesitate to voice her concern that Jane "will be quite an old maid soon" (186). This accusation is clearly not socially acceptable to make verbally in the company of other families, but the young and inexperienced Lydia has not yet learned that unspoken rule.

Interestingly, it appears that Lydia represents the common inward thoughts of other women within the novel. While Lydia is the one to actually voice her concern for Jane's approaching old make status, it is evident throughout the novel the Mrs. Bennett is also quite concerned about Jane's age. After all, Mrs. Bennett is the one frantically putting her daughters on display at aristocratic parties as if they are commodities. When Lydia monologues to her family and friends in the coach, she brings to light the thoughts that none of the other women, who have grown more accustomed to the social expectations of their society, plan to say to one another.

Pride and Prejudice 1-5

“Pride and Prejudice” appears to be an apt way to describe the traditional mindset of the people of the Victorian English countryside.  Many of the characters in the novel feel a sense of entitlement based on their birth and on other aspects of social expectation.  For example, Mr. Collins immediately assumes that Elizabeth will agree to marry him for his wealth and his inheritance.  He does not have the humility to ask the question whether or not she will marry him but instead goes on haughtily describing their lives “when [they] are married” (93).  Mr. Collins is so proud of his social stature that he overlooks the possibility of rejection, expecting her to adhere to societal tradition.

Mrs. Bennett is another example of someone who demonstrates prejudice as a result of her place in society. When Mrs. Bennett describes Mr. Bingley, she venerates his land and money more than his personality (5-7).  She does not yet know him personally, so she surmises that he is a wonderful man based only on his societal merit.  Mrs. Bennett makes the same assumption with Mr. Collins when she urges Elizabeth to marry him for the sole reason that she wants to retain the probably that he will soon inherit.  Because of her desire to keep her property within her family, she convinces herself that Mr. Collins possesses qualities desirable of a man who will marry her daughter even though she has no evidence except his wealth.

1983 Open-Ended Question

From a novel of play of literary merit, select an important character that is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances the meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984 is a warning against totalitarianism. The book warns against the strategy by which a dictator or a totalitarian bureaucracy may be able to take complete control of a society. One of the most important components of the books proposed strategy is completely capturing the minds of every citizen. O’Brien, the books most frequently appearing member of the totalitarian Inner Party, is a seasoned master of Outer Party mind control. As the reader of 1984 follows Outer Party member Winston Smith on his journey from cognitive rebellion against the Party to complete intellectual captivity, O’Brien is instrumental in Winston’s tragic transformation from freedom to miserable slavery. O’Brien’s villainy, which aligns perfectly with the evil of the Party characterized by insidious brainwashing, enhances the message of 1984 by perfectly exemplifying the Party’s system of mind control.

The first time Winston makes eye contact with O’Brien, he suspects that O’Brien may also be a rebel against the Party despite his high rank within the Party structure. O’Brien intends for Winston to suspect so because he wants to lead Winston into a trap. He further gains Winston’s trust when he invites Winston into his large home and appears to switch off his telescreen. Winston believes O’Brien’s deception, and he lets his guard down, unaware that O’Brien is recording Winston’s every word and laying Winston a trap. O’Brien is the only character who appears trustworthy for Winston so far, and yet in reality he is an undercover member of the Thought Police. The seemingly trustworthy O’Brien’s deception is significant to the novel’s meaning because it represents the false sense of security that the Party uses to entrap and brainwash all of its dissentients.

Winston’s experience with O’Brien in the Ministry of Love serves as a continuation of the development of O’Brien’s villainy. After deceiving Winston and leading him into a Thought Police trap, O’Brien tortures Winston brutally as a way to engrain unquestioning devotion to the Party into Winston’s mind. As he tortures Winston, O’Brien has the disposition of a madman, screaming in Winston’s face as he holds up four of his fingers, telling Winston that there are five. However, every move he makes is carefully planned and measured. His attention to detail is evident in the beginning of the scene in Room 101; he explains in detail the process of the torture that will ensue, and he even tells Winston that he knows exactly how far along in the process he will be able to trust the information that he has coerced out of Winston. The disparity between the way he acts and his level of planning is parallel to the disparity of what the Party projects to its subjects and their true level of understanding and control over the population of Oceania.

O’Brien the villain represents the Party as a whole through the way he brainwashes Winston through deception and torture. Orwell postulates that this method of deception and torture could be a key tool in brainwashing any citizens that rebel against a totalitarian government. O’Brien is a villain because he destroys the protagonist’s will and identity at the conclusion of the book, and he is a villain that exemplifies the meaning of the 1984 by using his very plausible strategies of mind control to create a terrifying alternate future.

A Third Person Account (individual poem - Michael)

"Yeah, sure," he says. 

"Get out," he says. 

"Shut up," he says. 

"I don't care."

He sees the look on his own family’s face

And feels nothing?

This sensitive

Friendly

Compassionate guy?

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the guy. 

I look up to him,

emulate him,

And that makes it so much worse. 

He'll come home, smiling; he had a great day. 

He savors a nectarine as he recounts a funny story. 

But before I know it,

before I can digest what's happening,

I've eaten away at that ugly

short fuse. 

"Don't interrupt me!" he says. 

"Why do you do that?" he says. 

"Stop being stupid!" he says. 

"Just go away."

I set off that dynamite, and there's no use trying to fight. 

I can't know what offends or when it ends, or why he tends these awful trends;

I just want to make amends. 

So finally I get up the courage to tell him how I feel. 

I tell him about the yelling, the swelling,

The bashing, the trashing,

How I look facedown, try not to frown

As my world comes crashing down. 

"I know," he says. 

"I know.

And I hate myself for it every day. 

"I don't know what to do. 

I feel like I have this image to maintain: 

A sensitive,

Friendly

Compassionate guy. 

When I treat you this way, my life feels like a scheme

My short fuse might say that I'm trying to 'seem;'

To seem nice, to seem genuine, caring and kind,

And this isn't the person I'm trying to find.

I'm sorry I'm always exploding at you,

And here on in, when you’re with me, I'll stay true."

So he's realized his fault,

And that's always the first step—scratching the surface of that frozen layer covering up the man he wants to be. 

Boy, is he in for some ice fishing. 

But the journey's not complete. 

It won't be till 

he comes to terms with this entirely. 

It won't be till

he has the balls to admit to himself 

and to others. 

The journey's not complete till he can write this poem

in the first person.

Time Crunch (group poem)

Sometimes, inspiration hits you

At the moment when you least expect it

Like bubblegum exploding in your face

Or better yet,

Inspiration taps you on the shoulder

At the exact moment when you need it most.

It’s like a wave of water

Rushing, gushing

Engulfing you in swirling current

Of thoughts, ideas, words, sounds, images, music—

A masterpiece.

Everything comes so easily.

Essays ooze from fingertips

Poetry is putty in your hands

You splatter similes on a canvas

And come out with abstract art.

And then there are those other times.

Each syllable squeaks and screeches

As you try to force it past another

Your thoughts congeal

Clogging up the pipes that lead to ingenuity and imagination

(If they even still exist).

The harder you try, the more force you exert

The stronger friction fights you back.

Physics may say that’s impossible,

But I bet physics has never tried to write a poem.

You’re plucking ideas like apples from a tree

Just to realize that there’s a gaping hole in your bag

And they’re all tumbling down the slope

Sliding into oblivion:

Aka that dark corner under your bed

Where everything disappears and nothing ever comes back.

Under pressure, you can see time closing in

Peering over your shoulder,

Its knobby fingers twiddling

Around, and around, and around

Inches from your face, so mesmerizing,

Drawing you deeper into its clutches

Twiddling around, and around, and around...

Distracted! Again!

You’re flustered, trying to muster the seeds of

Something

But there is no time

And the river of inspiration is not rushing

It’s not gushing

There is barely a trickle streaming down the page

Yet you try to lick it up anyway.

Time ticking, words sticking, gears clicking away

But somehow stuck in their tracks--

Inspiration runs on its own schedule.