 Early in the book , Eric retells a portion of Homer 's Odyssey , describing the episode in which Ulysses sails near the land of the Sirens : creatures whose song so attracts seafarers that they sail towards them and crash on the rocks . In this story , Ulysses orders all his men to fill their ears with beeswax and then tie him to the mast ; the ship therefore sails through the area unharmed . Still , Ulysses , hearing the Sirens ' song the entire time , is tortured by its beauty and his inability to get to the song 's source . Eric follows this story with a retelling of the story of Orpheus 's encounter with the Sirens . In this story , Orpheus 's solution is to play a " sweeter song " than that of the Sirens ; his ship also passes unharmed , his men so entranced by his song that they do not notice the Sirens . Eric then argues from analogy that , normally , those who force themselves to resist premarital sexual and romantic temptations are likely to find the process torturous ( like Ulysses ) , while those who listen to the plans God has for them find waiting for marriage much easier ( as it was for Orpheus 's crew ) . Eric expands on the concept of the " sweeter song " throughout the book and often refers to it . Another frequently mentioned concept in the book is " the beautiful side of love " ; the Ludys use this phrase to refer to a lasting , satisfying romance and contrast this state with such other experiences as breakups , unrequited love , and sexual frustration . 
