Field Journal 7: Siren Song

Siren Song by Margaret Atwood

This is the one song everyone

would like to learn: the song

that is irresistible:

the song that forces men

to leap overboard in squadrons

even though they see the beached skulls

the song nobody knows

because anyone who has heard it

is dead, and the others can’t remember.

Shall I tell you the secret

and if I do, will you get me

out of this bird suit?

I don’t enjoy it here

squatting on this island

looking picturesque and mythical

with these two feathery maniacs,

I don’t enjoy singing

this trio, fatal and valuable.

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

at last. Alas

it is a boring song

but it works every time.

This poem blows my mind every time I read it. To sum it up in the shortest way possible, after finishing the poem, the reader is left in a daze and realizes the trap has been set. The narrator is the siren, pleading for you, the reader, to rescue her. The reader can't help but to continue until the last line. Then it's too late, the reader is doomed for the siren has already lured you in. 

I read this in my literature class from high school last year and I was astounded how masterful Atwood utilizes meter, rhythm, and imagery to capture her readers.  I always appreciate artists who take the extra mile to make their work less exclusive and allow anyone to participate. Art has been, for the longest of time, accessible to  the upper and wealthy classes. The working middle class did not have the time or luxury to appreciate art. In the early to mid 1900s, however, art was trying to target as many people, from all backgrounds of life to take part in discussions and to be open to change. 

Piet Zwart, NFK catalog

From the Netherlands, Dutch designer Piet Zwart received no formal training in printing or typography. Zwart knew what appealed to him, Dadism and De Stijl, and he was determined to break some the rules that many professionals thought were unthinkable. Most importantly, however, he "had a strong sense of social responsibility and concern for the reader" and was determined to effectively communicate to large audiences (Meggs & Purvis, 342). He took into the consideration of their busy lives and knew well that fewer words would leave a bigger impact. No confusion, no trouble. Zwart knew how to successfully leave an imprint in the mind by introducing large, bold letters, diagonal lines, large center images, and eye-catching colors. He lured in readers in NFK catalogs and people under his spell were released as soon as he became interested in teaching and industrial interior design in 1933.       

Both Atwood and Zwart have effectively and successfully communicated to large audiences and remain to be relevant in their separate fields. Though art is a form of self-expression, both artists used art as a mean to break the fourth dimension to invite and entice readers. No longer a past time for the rich, art was expanding its borders. It takes someone talented to communicate through paper, but it takes someone great to lure in and trap people with a few words and images. This same concept is what marketing and advertising teams are doing to lure in potential customers every time we see ads on our Facebook walls. Now, artists and working alongside psychologists and sociologists to come up with the best plan to create a deep impression on consumers' minds. Nothing is simple as it used to be anymore; now everything from the background colors to the scenes are carefully executed to achieve the best results. Everyone in the art and advertising industry tries to grab attention, but only few are lucky enough to have a siren of their own.

Sources: 
http://www.iconofgraphics.com/piet-zwart/
http://poemelf.com/category/poems/siren-song/
Meggs & Purvis, Meggs' History of Graphic Design, 5th ed.