Summary of Tithonus by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Summary of "Tithonus" by Alfred Lord Tennyson "Tithonus" is a dramatic monologue in which Tithonus, a figure from Greek mythology, laments his tragic fate. Tithonus was granted immortality by the goddess Eos (Aurora), whom he loved, but she forgot to ask for eternal youth. As a result, while Eos remains forever young, Tithonus continues to age endlessly, growing ever more frail and decrepit. Tithonus describes his sorrow and isolation, trapped between the mortal and immortal worlds. He envies the natural cycle of life and death that he can no longer experience, observing that everything else in nature is renewed except for him. The poem explores themes of the folly of wishing for immortality, the inevitability of aging, and the pain of love when one partner remains unchanged. Ultimately, Tithonus pleads with Eos to release him from his curse and allow him to die, recognizing that mortality gives life its meaning and beauty. The poem serves as a meditation on the human condition, the passage of time, and the dangers of desiring what is unnatural or beyond human limits.

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