Christopher Marlowe's lengthy narrative work "Hero and Leander" (c. 1593) is a mythological erotic poem that tells the story of two tragic lovers. It can be found in Christopher Marlowe: The Complete Poems, published in 2000 by Everyman.

Sir Walter Raleigh's poem "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" (c. 1592), which is a response to Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," can be found in The Poems of Sir Walter Raleigh (1951), as well as in numerous anthologies and on many online sites.

Ovid's Metamorphoses, written about 8 a.d., is an epic that contains a story of the creation of the world and links together many early myths and legends. Filled with stories of gods, goddesses, and mere mortals, Metamorphoses is often described as one of the most beautifully written texts in existence. It was also a source for many writers who followed...