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Cerberus

Topics: classic

Dear Reader, should you chance to go     To Hades, do not fail to throw     A "Sop to Cerberus" at the gate,     His anger to propitiate.     Don't say "Good dog!" and hope thereby     His three fierce Heads to pacify.     What though he try to be polite     And wag his Tail with all his might,     How shall one amiable Tail     Against three angry Heads prevail?     The Heads must win.--What puzzles me     Is why in Hades there should be     A Watch dog; 'tis, I should surmise,     The last place one would burglarize.

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"Dear Reader, should you chance to go..."

This evocative piece by Oliver Herford, titled "Cerberus", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

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"Here's to our Goddess, Liberty,     Idol of bronze..."

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