# data[].attributes.body
In every story there is a lesson to be learned. In “The Sirens” the lesson learned is that one gains respect by serving others. Odysseus gained the respect of his men by his acts of   servitude and companionship .
Odysseus reflects himself as a humble leader throughout The Odyssey.   In order to elaborate Odysseus’ selfless actions Homer wrote, “Therefore you are to tie me up, tight as a splint, erect along the mast, lashed to the mast, and if I should beg to be untied, take more turns of the rope to muffle me.”  The Sirens attempted to persuade Odysseus and his shipmates, but Odysseus, being the the heroic character he is, saved the crew by risking his own life.  Odysseus ordered his men to tie him to the masts, so that he could baffle the minds of the Sirens. Throughout the story of “The Sirens” Odysseus exemplifies how a leader should act by using scenarios that depict his willingness to serve his men more than himself. Homer consistently proves that Odysseus is a perspicacious, loyal leader. In “The Sirens” Homer once again proves the aforementioned qualities of Odysseus as he states “Going forward I carried wax along line, and laid it thick on their ears.” By filling his crew’s ears with wax he rendered them deaf to the persuasive song the sirens sing. Odysseus’ ingenious proposition subsequently saves his men as he once again proves loyal to them.  Homer’s masterful manipulation of text shows how trust is a colossal factor in leadership and how respect should be earned by serving and not given.

# data[].attributes.body
Homer conveyed the theme throughout the episode by incorporating a scenario that required an act of selflessness to show how a leader must respond to a certain situation. He did this by using characterization to show what he would be up against and how he would overcome it. An example of Homer's use of characterization is when he wrote, " The Sirens, who lure men to their destruction." Homer's use of imagery painted a picture for the reader and helped them visualize how tedious the journey was. Homer showed the work that the crew had done when he wrote, "they poised the smooth oar blades and sent the white foam scudding by." Homer's creative use of setting and diction created an environment that the reader could almost walk into and be where they were in the story. Homer showed where they were sailing when he wrote, "They scrambled to their places by the rowlocks  and all in line dipped oars in the gray sea." Homer also wrote using words such as "steersman" and "roused" to help the reader visualize what is happening. Homer's use of figurative language breathed life into the story and helped give a creative feel to the story. Homer showed how descriptive his story is when he wrote, "Then all at once the wind fell, and a calm came over the sea."

# data[].attributes.body
The theme of "The Sirens" is extremely important because people have the wrong idea of what it takes to be a leader. People think in order to be a leader you have to be the best, the smartest, the strongest, or the loudest, and although all of those characteristics help you be a better leader, I think the most important thing to be a good leader is to serve others and the people you are leading.

# data[].attributes.body
Leaders earn respect by serving others.

# data[].attributes.body
To be cogent, Odysseus wanted to be tied up because he was recalcitrant and didn't want to get ostracized from his men, but he couldn't defeat their power, so he made a seminal plan so they wouldn't be placated by the sirens. He did this by plugging the ears of his crew.