Homework for 4.10.08

Siren Song-
I didn't necessarily like this poem. A lot of it was confusing to me and it was hard to make sense of it. The sirens were considered to be half women, half bird water nymphs. These half woman and water birds sang "beautiful" songs to sailors. This poem took place on an island and on a shore where things were destroyed. It seems that the half woman and water birds are unhappy, as they ask if they tell the secret will they be let out of the "bird suit." They also say they do not "enjoy it here." The songs lure the reader in by saying its a song everyone would like to know. Does that mean that people who are unhappy would like it and could sing along too?

Ulysses-
It was interesting reading about Greek Mythology. Ulysses looks back on his life in this poem and reflects on the things that have happened. Ulysses overcomes many different obstacles in his life such as Cyclops, the Sirens, and more. All in all he simply wanted to get back to his home to be with his wife and his son who is so different from him. He is an accomplished man and has done too many things in his life to just sit back and do nothing.

Leda and the Swan-
This poem obviously is a greek myth about a swan, involving Zeus. Zeus went to Leda as a swan and seduced her, who had also slept with someone else that same night. Leda was a beautiful Spartan queen. This poem seems to be being retold by one of Leda's daughters, who is obviously not dead anymore.