The death of Cassandra is only one of the subjects of Agamemnon (458 b.c.e.), by the ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus. The main story concerns the plot by Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, to murder him after he returns from the Trojan War. She takes revenge because Agamemnon has sacrificed their daughter, Iphigenia, for the cause of war.

McHugh's understanding of the deeper meaning of Greek mythology serves her well in her 2001 translation of Cyclops, by Euripides. It is the only Greek satyr play still existing, and McHugh adds to it a sense of wordplay and wit.

McHugh's poetry has been compared to that of many other contemporary poets. One of the most frequently mentioned is Louise Glück. Readers can get to know Glück's style through poems such as “Parados,” which is included in her collection Ararat (1994).

McHugh's...