I've struggled with William Morris' writing. But his influence is undeniable.Back in January, I finished reading The House of the Wolfings (1889) by William Morris. It was a somewhat arduous read because I had to take my time with the passages in verse to get as much value out of them as I could, but it was rewarding for the emotional impact of the book. Notable for D&D and fantasy fans is the extensive use of the term fighting-men as well as the use of Mirkwood as the name of the forest surrounding "the Mark", the homeland of an idealized Gothic people.