Muses: Poetry and Music

     Four of the nine Muses had particular responsibility for the poetic and musical arts. Calliope was the Muse of epic poetry; her attributes included a tablet and a stylus. From the seventeenth century onward she has often been shown holding a book, usually the Iliad, the Odyssey, or the Aeneid. She was said to be the mother of Orpheus, Linus, and sometimes the Sirens.
    Erato, the Muse of love poetry and lyre-playing, carried a lyre and, in the postclassical arts, is sometimes depicted with a swan or with a putto at her feet.
    Euterpe was the Muse of lyric poetry and fluteplaying. She played on a flute or pipe, and some sources credit her with inventing all wind instruments. In the postclassical arts, her hair is often garlanded.
    Polyhymnia, the Muse of sacred music and later of pantomime, carried a portative organ or sometimes a lute. She is also occasionally seen with a veil.
    In the postclassical era, the special functions of these Muses, who are often depicted in pairs or groups, have been diffused. While representations and evocations of specific Muses have continued to be popular, artists have also identified, for instance, a generalized “Muse of Poetry.” Since the nineteenth century, the term “Muse” has also come to be a general metaphor for artistic inspiration, unconnected to its classical origin.