Notes About The Poem

Calliope, the Muse in Greek mythology who presides over eloquence and epic poetry. The eldest of the Nine Muses, her name literally means "beautiful-voiced." Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses."

To Calliope, Chief of the Nine Muses

My muse sighs and leaves me unwell
     and cuckolds me like faithless love
as if she's ne'er my god or belle,
afflatus or creative breath 
     who came from the summits above
to save me from poetic death!
"Why go, O Calliope!?" I yell;

her leaving brings about such woe
and inexpressible sorrow
     that's too profound, too deep to tell:
I pray to Zeus I'll never know
     this Melancholia of hell!
My muse sighs and takes leave of me,—
I yell, "Why go, O Calliope!?
Copyright © | Year Posted 2014

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