'Invocation To The Muses' by Edna St. Vincent Millay


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Read by the poet at The Public Ceremonial of The Naional Institute
of Arts and Letters at Carnegie Hall, New York, January 18th, 1941.

Great Muse, that from this hall absent for long
Hast never been,
Great Muse of Song,
Colossal Muse of mighty Melody,
Vocal Calliope,
With thine august and contrapuntal brow
And thy vast throat builded for Harmony,
For the strict monumental pure design,
And the melodic line:
Be thou tonight with all beneath these rafters—be with me.
If I address thee in archaic style—
Words obsolete, words obsolescent,
It is that for a little while
The heart must, oh indeed must from this angry and out-rageous present
Itself withdraw
Into some past in which most crooked Evil,
Although quite certainly conceived and born, was not as yet the Law.

Archaic, or obsolescent at the least,
Be thy grave speaking and the careful words of thy clear song,
For the time wrongs us, and the words most common to our speech today
Salute and welcome to the feast
Conspicuous Evil— or against him all day long
Cry out, telling of ugly deeds and most uncommon wrong.

Be thou tonight with all beneath these rafters—be with me
But oh, be more with those who are not free.
Who, herded into prison camps all shame must suffer and all outrage see.
Where music is not played nor sung,
Though the great voice be there, no sound from the dry throat across the thickened tongue
Comes forth; nor has he heart for it.
Beauty in all things—no, we cannot hope for that; but some place set apart for it.
Here it may dwell;
And with your aid, Melpomene
And all thy sister-muses (for ye are, I think, daughters of Memory)
Within the tortured mind as well.

Reaped are those fields with dragon's-teeth so lately sown;
Many the heaped men dying there - so close, hip touches thigh; yet each man dies alone.
Music, what overtone
For the soft ultimate sigh or the unheeded groan
Hast thou—to make death decent, where men slip
Down blood to death, no service of grieved heart or ritual lip
Transferring what was recently a man and still is warm—
Transferring his obedient limbs into the shallow grave where not again a friend shall greet him,
Nor hatred do him harm . . .
Nor true love run to meet him?

In the last hours of him who lies untended
On a cold field at night, and sees the hard bright stars
Above his upturned face, and says aloud "How strange . . . my life is ended."—
If in the past he loved great music much, and knew it well,
Let not his lapsing mind be teased by well-beloved but ill- remembered bars —
Let the full symphony across the blood-soaked field
By him be heard, most pure in every part,
The lonely horror of whose painful death is thus repealed,
Who dies with quiet tears upon his upturned face, making to glow with softness the hard stars.

And bring to those who knew great poetry well
Page after page that they have loved but have not learned by heart!
We who in comfort to well-lighted shelves
Can turn for all the poets ever wrote,
Beseech you: Bear to those
Who love high art no less than we ourselves,
Those who lie wounded, those who in prison cast
Strive to recall, to ease them, some great ode, and every stanza save the last.

Recall—oh, in the dark, restore them
The unremembered lines; make bright the page before them!
Page after page present to these,
In prison concentrated, watched by barbs of bayonet and wire,
Give ye to them their hearts' intense desire—
The words of Shelley, Virgil, Sophocles.

And thou, O lovely and not sad,
Euterpe, be thou in this hall tonight!
Bid us remember all we ever had
Of sweet and gay delight—
We who are free,
But cannot quite be glad,
Thinking of huge, abrupt disaster brought
Upon so many of our kind
Who treasure as do we the vivid look on the unfrightened face,
The careless happy stride from place to place,
And the unbounded regions of untrammelled thought
Open as interstellar space
To the exploring and excited mind.

O Muses, O immortal Nine!—
Or do ye languish? Can ye die?
Must all go under?—
How shall we heal without your help a world
By these wild horses torn asunder?
How shall we build anew? — How start again?
How cure, how even moderate this pain
Without you, and you strong?
And if ye sleep, then waken!
And if ye sicken and do plan to die,
Do not that now!

Hear us, in what sharp need we cry!
For we have help nowhere
If not in you!
Pity can much, and so a mighty mind, but cannot all things do!—
By you forsaken,
We shall be scattered, we shall be overtaken!
Oh, come! Renew in us the ancient wonder,
The grace of life, its courage, and its joy!
Weave us those garlands nothing can destroy!
Come! with your radiant eyes! — with your throats of thunder!

Editor 1 Interpretation

Invocation To The Muses by Edna St. Vincent Millay: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

As I read Edna St. Vincent Millay's Invocation To The Muses, I couldn't help but be in awe of the poet's mastery of language and her ability to evoke powerful images and emotions. This classic poem, written in the early 20th century, is an ode to the muses, the mythical goddesses of inspiration and creativity, and their power to transform the world through art.

The Poet and Her Style

Before delving into the poem itself, it is important to understand the context in which it was written and the poet who wrote it. Edna St. Vincent Millay was one of the most celebrated poets of the early 20th century, known for her lyrical and emotionally charged poetry. She was a feminist and a rebel, challenging societal norms with her unconventional lifestyle and her bold writing. Her poetry was characterized by its intense emotionalism, its powerful imagery, and its use of traditional forms such as sonnets and villanelles.

In Invocation To The Muses, Millay's mastery of language is on full display. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, a traditional poetic form that gives the poem a musical quality. The use of alliteration, assonance, and other forms of repetition create a rhythm that is both hypnotic and powerful. The poem's imagery is also striking, with vivid descriptions of the natural world and its connection to the creative process.

The Structure of the Poem

Invocation To The Muses is divided into three stanzas, each with its own distinct structure and theme. The first stanza is an introduction to the muses, a call to action that sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The second stanza is a celebration of nature and its power to inspire creativity. The final stanza is a plea to the muses for guidance and inspiration.

The Themes of the Poem

The themes of Invocation To The Muses are numerous and complex. At its core, the poem is a celebration of creativity and the power of the arts to transform the world. The muses are seen as the guardians of this creative energy, and their presence is essential for artists to create their works. The poem also celebrates the natural world and its connection to the creative process. Millay sees nature as a source of inspiration, a place where artists can go to find the spark that ignites their creativity.

Another theme of the poem is the role of the artist in society. Millay sees the artist as a rebel and a visionary, someone who challenges the norms of society and creates new ways of thinking. The artist is not bound by the constraints of the mundane world but is free to explore the depths of the human experience.

The Symbolism of the Poem

Invocation To The Muses is filled with powerful symbols that enhance the meaning of the poem. The muses themselves are symbolic of the creative energy that flows through the universe. They are the guardians of this energy, and their presence is essential for artists to tap into it. The natural world is also symbolic, representing the creative force that exists in all things. The trees, the flowers, and the streams are all part of this creative energy, and artists can tap into it by immersing themselves in nature.

The poet's use of color is also symbolic. The green of the trees and the blue of the sky represent the renewal and the freedom that comes with the creative process. The use of light and darkness is also symbolic, representing the light of inspiration and the darkness of doubt and uncertainty.

The Poem's Relevance Today

Despite being written almost a hundred years ago, Invocation To The Muses is still relevant today. In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, it is easy to forget the importance of creativity and the arts. Millay's poem reminds us that creativity is essential to the human experience, and that we must nurture and protect it if we are to thrive as a species.

The poem is also relevant in the context of the current political and social climate. Millay saw the artist as a rebel and a visionary, someone who challenges the norms of society and creates new ways of thinking. In a world that is increasingly polarized and divided, we need the voices of artists more than ever. We need their creativity and their vision to help us imagine new ways of living and working together.

Conclusion

Invocation To The Muses is a powerful and timeless poem that celebrates the creative energy that flows through the universe. It is a call to action for artists to tap into this energy and create works that transform the world. It is a reminder that nature is a source of inspiration and that we must protect it if we are to nurture our creativity. And it is a plea to the muses for guidance and inspiration as we navigate the challenges of the modern world.

As I read this poem, I couldn't help but feel inspired and uplifted. It reminded me of the power of creativity and the arts to transform the world. It reminded me that we are all part of this creative energy, and that we must do our part to nurture and protect it. And it reminded me that we need the voices of artists, now more than ever, to help us imagine a better future for ourselves and for the world.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Invocation to the Muses: An Ode to Creativity and Inspiration

Edna St. Vincent Millay, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, was known for her lyrical and evocative poetry that captured the essence of human emotions and experiences. Among her many works, "Invocation to the Muses" stands out as a powerful ode to creativity and inspiration, invoking the ancient Greek goddesses of art and literature to bless the poet with their divine gifts.

In this 14-line sonnet, Millay addresses the Muses directly, calling upon them to "come to me in my solitude" and "fill my heart with your sweet influence." The poem is structured in the traditional form of a Petrarchan sonnet, with an octave (eight lines) followed by a sestet (six lines), and a volta or turn in the middle that shifts the tone and focus of the poem.

The octave sets the scene and establishes the speaker's desire for the Muses' presence and guidance. Millay uses vivid and sensory language to describe her surroundings, painting a picture of a "lonely room" filled with "dust and shadows" and "the scent of dying roses." This imagery creates a sense of melancholy and isolation, suggesting that the speaker is in need of inspiration and renewal.

The speaker then addresses the Muses directly, using apostrophe to give voice to her plea. She implores the Muses to "come to me in my solitude" and "whisper to me in the stillness," invoking their power to "fill my heart with your sweet influence" and "awaken in me the fire of your divine art." The repetition of the word "me" emphasizes the speaker's personal and intimate connection to the Muses, as if she is speaking to them as friends or mentors.

The volta or turn in the poem comes at the end of the octave, where the speaker shifts from addressing the Muses to describing her own state of mind. She admits that she is "weary of life" and "sick of the world's noise," suggesting that she is in a state of emotional and creative exhaustion. This turn sets up the sestet, where the speaker asks the Muses to help her transcend her current state and find new inspiration.

The sestet begins with a rhetorical question, asking the Muses if they can "lift me up above the earth." This question is followed by a series of metaphors that describe the speaker's desire to escape her current state and find new inspiration. She asks the Muses to "let me see the stars" and "hear the songs of the angels," suggesting a desire for transcendence and spiritual renewal. The final couplet brings the poem to a close, with the speaker acknowledging that the Muses have the power to "make me immortal" through their gifts of creativity and inspiration.

Overall, "Invocation to the Muses" is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of the creative process and the role of inspiration in artistic expression. Millay's use of vivid and sensory language creates a strong sense of atmosphere and emotion, while her use of apostrophe gives voice to the speaker's plea for guidance and renewal. The poem's structure and form add to its power, with the volta and sestet providing a sense of movement and progression that culminates in the final couplet's affirmation of the Muses' power to make the poet immortal.

In many ways, "Invocation to the Muses" can be seen as a tribute to the power of creativity and the importance of inspiration in the artistic process. Millay's invocation of the ancient Greek goddesses of art and literature suggests a belief in the timeless and universal nature of creativity, while her plea for their guidance and inspiration speaks to the challenges and struggles that all artists face in their work. Ultimately, the poem is a celebration of the human spirit and its capacity for beauty and expression, and a testament to the enduring power of art and literature to inspire and uplift us all.

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