In the lines of book 1 the poet calls upon muse a daughter of Zeus often credited with inspiration. why would he open the epic in this way what does this allusion tell you about him as a poet?

By invoking the muse at the beginning of the epic, the poet is indicating that the story he is about to tell is of great importance and worthy of divine inspiration. The allusion to the muse also suggests that the poet is humble and recognizes the role of external sources of inspiration in his work, rather than taking credit solely for himself. This shows that the poet values tradition and seeks to honor the muses in creating his epic.