I will give him his words when he gives me his brooch.
-- Calliope (chapter 1)

Importance: This sentence, although at first apparently meaningless, catalyses the events of the novel. It establishes that Calliope will be the dominant creative force in this story, not the poet who entreats her aid. It also establishes that the poet must make a sacrifice, which is the traditional means by which humans commune with the gods and seek their intervention. It also gives us an insight into the character of Calliope and the gods in general: they are greedy and acquisitive beings with insatiable appetites. This will be an important theme throughout the novel.

Creusa knew she would remember this oddity - the fire and the birds and the night made day - for as long as she lived. And she did, though it mattered little, because she was dead long before dawn.
-- Narrator (chapter 2)

Importance: These two sentences introduce the chaos...