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Invocation

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A formal address to a muse, deity, or abstract force at a poem’s outset, traditionally invoking inspiration or guidance for the work.

Detailed Definition
Invocation: A formal address to a muse, deity, or abstract force at a poem’s outset, traditionally used to seek inspiration or blessing; in modern poetry, it may serve as a rhetorical or thematic framing device rather than literal prayer.
Example
Example in poetry:
Invocation: “Sing, O Muse, of the wrath of Achilles” opens epic; “Muse of fire, descend!” (Shakespeare’s Henry V); Contemporary poets invoking ancestors or rivers; “Spirit of the redwood, speak through me”; Eco-invocations calling on extinct species; Invocations blending prayer and poetic plea
Additional Notes
The opening appeal to a muse, deity, or inspiration source. Classical epic convention (see Homer, Virgil, Milton). Establishes authority and asks for divine assistance. Modern variations often ironic or secular.
Also Known As
Opening prayer Call to muse Beginning appeal Poetic petition Apostrophe apostrophic address Incantation Vocative case invocatory phrase O
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