Printed in our book in italics, this seems to serve the same function as an invocation to the Gods like you might find in classic Greek drama– he asks for inspiration, but also not to be judged too harshly.
Not inspired, as far as I know, by a particular verse– it’s a frontispiece for the whole project, and has, in its use of the quill, an interesting metaphor about the role of the writer.
Unamusing Makayla 