Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Siren" by Louise Gluck delves into the psychology of desire, betrayal, and moral quandaries through the lens of an extramarital affair. The poem's title alludes to the mythical Sirens of Greek mythology, known for luring sailors to their doom with their bewitching songs. This sets up the tone of the poem, echoing themes of seduction and danger.

The speaker straightforwardly confesses, "I became a criminal when I fell in love." She distinguishes her life before this love as that of a "waitress," emphasizing the transformation that love-or what she perceives as love-has wrought. The contrast between being a waitress and a 'criminal' due to love is poignant. It emphasizes how roles can shift drastically, how easily one can become the antagonist in someone else's life story.

What follows is a tangled logic of desire and justification. The speaker "wanted to marry" the man, yet also wanted "his wife to suffer." This raises questions about the nature of love and morality. The speaker herself wonders, "Does a good person/Think this way?" and paradoxically argues that she "deserve[s] credit for [her] courage." The language is filled with a twisted sense of entitlement, as if her audacity to desire a married man is a courageous act.

Her justification for breaking a marriage is rooted in her own skewed perception of love: "If she loved you/Wouldn't she want you to be happy?" This reveals the speaker's desperate reasoning, trying to validate her own actions by questioning the wife's love. Such manipulative logic serves to absolve her of guilt, reinforcing the seductive yet perilous Siren-like quality she embodies.

The line "I think now/If I felt less I would be/A better person" reflects self-awareness, as the speaker acknowledges the corrosive nature of her intense feelings. She recalls being "a good waitress," capable of carrying "eight drinks," evoking an image of balance and stability, far removed from the emotional turmoil she now experiences.

The poem closes with a dream-a woman "sitting in a dark bus" who is "weeping" as the bus moves away. The final image of "an egg carton full of babies" that the woman in the dream strokes is unsettling, suggesting futures that could have been or innocent lives affected by the choices of adults. It's a haunting image that underscores the collateral damage of the speaker's desires.

"Siren" doesn't offer neat conclusions. Like the Sirens of mythology, the poem is a disturbing blend of beauty and menace, laying bare the complexities of love, desire, and morality. Through a raw, confessional tone, Gluck crafts a multifaceted emotional landscape that challenges our understanding of right and wrong, forcing us to confront the darker aspects of our own natures.

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...