The purpose of the poem is to free men from superstition and the fear of death by teaching the doctrines of Epicurus. [Sidenote: The reason for writing in verse.] This is a most serious purpose, and Lucretius is thoroughly in earnest. If he adopts the poetic form, it is in order to make his presentation of the doctrines more attractive, in the hope that it will thus have greater influence. This point of view, and at the same time the poet’s sense of the difficulty of his theme and his power to cope with it, is clearly expressed in the following passage: Come now, and what remaineth learn and hear More clearly. Well in my own mind I know The doctrine is obscure; but mighty hope Of praise has struck my heart with maddening wand, And with the blow implanted in my breast The sweet love of the Muses, filled with which I wander with fresh mind through pathless tracts Of the Pierides, untrod before By any mortal’s foot. ’Tis sweet to go To fountains new and drink; and sweet it is To pluck new flow’rs and seek a garland thence For my own head, whence ne’er before a crown The Muses twined for any mortal’s brow. ’Tis first because I teach of weighty things And guide my course to set the spirit free From superstition’s closely knotted bonds; And next because concerning matters dark I write such lucid verses, touching all With th’ Muses’ grace. Then, too, because it seems Not without reason; but as when men try In curing boys to give them bitter herbs, They touch the edges round about the cups With yellow liquid of the honey sweet, That children’s careless age may be deceived As far as to the lips, and meanwhile drink The juice of bitter herb, and though deceived May not be harmed, but rather in such wise Gain health and strength, so I now, since my theme Seems gloomy for the most part unto those To whom ’tis not familiar, and the crowd Shrinks back from it, have wished to treat for thee My theme with sweetly speaking poetry’s verse And touch it with the Muses’ honey sweet.[21]