Apostrophe
Apart from its use as the name of a mark of punctuation ('), the
term apostrophe is used for a kind of formal invocation.
Sometimes the invocation is to an absent (or even dead) person:
"Milton," writes Wordsworth, "thou shouldst be living at this
hour;/ England hath need of thee." At other times, an inanimate
object can be invoked: "O you gentle day sky!" ???.
Apostrophizing an inanimate object may involve personifying it.
From the Guide to Literary Terms by Jack Lynch.
Please send comments to jlynch@andromeda.rutgers.edu.
Note: This guide is still in the early stages of development. Bear with me.