Okuzeka
Literature vocabulary · Poetry

Invocation

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In literature, invocation means: An opening appeal to a muse, deity, or guiding power for help, inspiration, or authority in a poem.

In Turkish: yakarış

How it is used

Most often used in epic and classical poetry. It names the formal beginning where the speaker asks for aid before telling the story.

Example sentences

  1. At the start of the epic, the invocation asks the Muse to give the singer a truthful memory of war.

    The term refers to the ceremonial opening appeal that authorizes and energizes the narrative voice.

  2. In her notes, the translator explained that the invocation is not decoration but a signal of epic tradition.

    Here, invocation marks a recognizable formal convention linking the poem to earlier models and expectations.

Common collocations

  • epic invocation
  • opening invocation
  • invocation to the Muse
  • poetryLiterary writing arranged in lines that uses rhythm, sound, imagery and often rhyme to express feelings and ideas in a concentrated way.
  • poemA single piece of writing in lines, often with a regular rhythm or rhyme, that expresses an experience, feeling or idea through carefully chosen language.

More terms: Poetry

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: