What Is the Invocation of a Muse in the Odyssey?
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The invocation of the Muse in the “Odyssey” occurs at the beginning of the work, when the poem’s narrator asks the muse to give him inspiration as he tells the story of Odysseus. The Muses were the Greek goddesses responsible for inspiring works of literature, history, art and science.
In epic poetry, such as the “Odyssey,” the narrator often asks the Muse for inspiration at the beginning of the work. Similar invocations occur in Vergil’s “Aeneid,” Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy” and John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” In the “Odyssey,” the narrator asks the Muse to tell him anything she knows about the adventures of Odysseus from whatever sources she can learn them.
