Stephenson:Neal:Quicksilver:xiii:Invocation (Neal Stephenson)

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

This poem has nothing to do with the book's subject matter. It is a very old tradition to invoke the Muse. I think it is a way for the author to express his or her sense of utter helplessness at the hands of whatever circumstances, humors, moods, or what-have-you make it possible for writing to take place. The Muse theory is very old but makes as much sense as any more modern explanation, and so I thought it wouldn't hurt, and might help.