The Epic of Hades, in Three Books

"The Epic of Hades" by Lewis Morris is a poem that takes you on a tour through realms of love, loss, and what it means to be human. It's like a trip through different worlds where you meet famous people from myths and see them deal with tough stuff. The poem looks at big ideas like destiny, wanting things, and what happens when you make choices. It kicks off with a person thinking about how sad and empty the underworld is, especially the really bad part called Tartarus. They run into people stuck there forever because of what they did wrong, like Tantalus and Phèdre. As the person watches them suffer, they start to think about what it really means to want something and be happy, showing us how messed up these souls are inside. The poem uses really strong, colorful descriptions to paint a picture of both the places and the feelings, making the mood serious as it looks at what happens when your actions have huge effects.