Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing

“Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood (1974)

This poem, from Atwood’s collection You Are Happy, is another dramatic monologue from a figure in Greek mythology. Circe is one of the half-bird sirens who seduces Odysseus’s men to “leap overboard” (Line 5) and drown. Here, Circe gives advice about “the song / that is irresistible” (Lines 2-3). Speaking to a man, Circe’s speech is similar to Helen’s whispers to her client: “I will tell the secret to you, / to you, only to you. / Come closer. This song / is a cry for help: Help me! / Only you, only you can, you are unique” (Lines 19-24). Circe admits “it is a boring song / but it works every time” (Lines 26-27), showing that she, like Helen, knows how to use her power to seduce men.

“Eurydice” by Margaret Atwood (1984)

First appearing in Interlunar (1984), “Eurydice” is part of a cycle of poems that center on the Greek myth of “Orpheus and Eurydice.” In the myth, the musician and demi-god Orpheus falls in love with the mortal Eurydice. After Eurydice tragically dies, a heartbroken Orpheus makes a bargain with Hades to rescue her from the Underworld.