Introduction: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
“Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson first appeared in 1860 in the collection Poems. The dramatic monologue explores the mythological tale of Tithonus, a mortal loved by the goddess Eos (Aurora), who grants him immortality but not eternal youth. This oversight leaves Tithonus eternally aging—a “gray shadow” who longs for the peace of death denied to him. The poem poignantly addresses themes of mortality, the natural cycle of life and decay, and the tragic burden of immortality. Its enduring popularity lies in Tennyson’s lyrical beauty, melancholic tone, and profound philosophical questioning. Lines like “Why should a man desire in any way / To vary from the kindly race of men” reflect a central existential dilemma—man’s wish to escape death clashing with the natural order. Through vivid imagery such as “I wither slowly in thine arms” and “immortal age beside immortal youth”, Tennyson paints the horror of a life unnaturally extended, evoking deep emotional and metaphysical resonance.
Text: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,
The vapours weep their burthen to the ground,
Man comes and tills the field and lies beneath,
And after many a summer dies the swan.
Me only cruel immortality
Consumes: I wither slowly in thine arms,
Here at the quiet limit of the world,
A white-hair’d shadow roaming like a dream
The ever-silent spaces of the East,
Far-folded mists, and gleaming halls of morn.
Alas! for this gray shadow, once a man—
So glorious in his beauty and thy choice,
Who madest him thy chosen, that he seem’d
To his great heart none other than a God!
I ask’d thee, ‘Give me immortality.’
Then didst thou grant mine asking with a smile,
Like wealthy men, who care not how they give.
But thy strong Hours indignant work’d their wills,
And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me,
And tho’ they could not end me, left me maim’d
To dwell in presence of immortal youth,
Immortal age beside immortal youth,
And all I was, in ashes. Can thy love,
Thy beauty, make amends, tho’ even now,
Close over us, the silver star, thy guide,
Shines in those tremulous eyes that fill with tears
To hear me? Let me go: take back thy gift:
Why should a man desire in any way
To vary from the kindly race of men
Or pass beyond the goal of ordinance
Where all should pause, as is most meet for all?
A soft air fans the cloud apart; there comes
A glimpse of that dark world where I was born.
Once more the old mysterious glimmer steals
From thy pure brows, and from thy shoulders pure,
And bosom beating with a heart renew’d.
Thy cheek begins to redden thro’ the gloom,
Thy sweet eyes brighten slowly close to mine,
Ere yet they blind the stars, and the wild team
Which love thee, yearning for thy yoke, arise,
And shake the darkness from their loosen’d manes,
And beat the twilight into flakes of fire.
Lo! ever thus thou growest beautiful
In silence, then before thine answer given
Departest, and thy tears are on my cheek.
Why wilt thou ever scare me with thy tears,
And make me tremble lest a saying learnt,
In days far-off, on that dark earth, be true?
‘The Gods themselves cannot recall their gifts.’
Ay me! ay me! with what another heart
In days far-off, and with what other eyes
I used to watch—if I be he that watch’d—
The lucid outline forming round thee; saw
The dim curls kindle into sunny rings;
Changed with thy mystic change, and felt my blood
Glow with the glow that slowly crimson’d all
Thy presence and thy portals, while I lay,
Mouth, forehead, eyelids, growing dewy-warm
With kisses balmier than half-opening buds
Of April, and could hear the lips that kiss’d
Whispering I knew not what of wild and sweet,
Like that strange song I heard Apollo sing,
While Ilion like a mist rose into towers.
Yet hold me not for ever in thine East:
How can my nature longer mix with thine?
Coldly thy rosy shadows bathe me, cold
Are all thy lights, and cold my wrinkled feet
Upon thy glimmering thresholds, when the steam
Floats up from those dim fields about the homes
Of happy men that have the power to die,
And grassy barrows of the happier dead.
Release me, and restore me to the ground;
Thou seëst all things, thou wilt see my grave:
Thou wilt renew thy beauty morn by morn;
I earth in earth forget these empty courts,
And thee returning on thy silver wheels.
Annotations of “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
| Stanza (First Line) | Simplified Annotation | Key Literary Devices |
| “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,” | Nature follows its natural cycle of birth, growth, and death. Tithonus alone is excluded from this cycle and suffers eternal life. | Repetition (“woods decay”), Alliteration (“woods…weep”), Juxtaposition (nature dies, Tithonus lives on), Symbolism (woods = natural death) |
| “Alas! for this gray shadow, once a man—” | Tithonus mourns the loss of his former self. Once proud and beautiful, he’s now a faded remnant of a man, cursed by immortality. | Metaphor (“gray shadow” = his decayed self), Irony (gift of immortality becomes curse), Allusion (Greek mythology), Tone (melancholy, tragic) |
| “I ask’d thee, ‘Give me immortality.'” | He recalls asking Aurora for immortality, granted thoughtlessly. Now he suffers because time spares neither mind nor body, only life. | Irony (desire misjudged), Simile (“like wealthy men”), Personification (“strong Hours”), Allusion (classical myth) |
| “To dwell in presence of immortal youth,” | Tithonus lives forever beside Aurora, who remains young, intensifying his torment as he withers. | Juxtaposition (“immortal age beside immortal youth”), Alliteration, Metaphor, Symbolism (youth = eternity, age = decay) |
| “Let me go: take back thy gift:” | He pleads for release. Immortality has severed him from mankind’s shared fate: death, which gives life meaning and peace. | Rhetorical question, Alliteration, Symbolism (“gift” = immortality), Theme (natural order vs. divine interference) |
| “A soft air fans the cloud apart; there comes” | A vision of dawn and Aurora’s renewal contrasts Tithonus’s decay. Her beauty remains eternal while he fades. | Imagery (light, fire, clouds), Personification (“air fans”), Symbolism (dawn = rebirth), Contrast |
| “Lo! ever thus thou growest beautiful” | Aurora silently transforms into light, as always, leaving Tithonus with her tears and without answers. | Repetition (“ever thus”), Pathos, Irony, Symbolism (tears = sorrow, distance) |
| “Why wilt thou ever scare me with thy tears,” | He questions why she mourns for him, fearing the ancient belief that even gods cannot undo their gifts. | Rhetorical question, Allusion (“The Gods themselves…”), Irony, Hyperbole |
| “Ay me! ay me! with what another heart” | He nostalgically recalls their passionate love when he was young and strong, now lost to time. | Exclamation, Romantic imagery, Allusion (Apollo, Ilion), Sensory Imagery (touch, sight, sound) |
| “Yet hold me not for ever in thine East:” | He begs Aurora not to trap him eternally in her immortal realm. He longs to return to the earth and die like other men. | Symbolism (“East” = eternal realm), Contrast (cold light vs. warmth of death), Irony, Tone (pleading, resigned) |
| “Release me, and restore me to the ground;” | Tithonus seeks peace in death, yearning for rest in the earth while Aurora remains untouched by time. | Alliteration, Symbolism (earth = death, release), Resolution, Contrast (eternal beauty vs. natural decay) |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
| Device | Example from the Poem | Explanation |
| Alliteration | “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall” | Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words to create rhythm. |
| Allusion | “Like that strange song I heard Apollo sing” | Reference to Greek mythology enhances the poem’s classical depth. |
| Anaphora | “Ay me! ay me!” | Repetition at the beginning of lines to emphasize emotion. |
| Apostrophe | “Let me go: take back thy gift” | Addressing Aurora directly though she is divine and not present. |
| Assonance | “Whispering I knew not what of wild and sweet” | Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words to add musicality. |
| Blank Verse | Entire poem in unrhymed iambic pentameter | Provides a structured yet natural flow to the monologue. |
| Contrast | “Immortal age beside immortal youth” | Highlights Tithonus’s suffering by juxtaposing his aging with Aurora’s youth. |
| Enjambment | “Changed with thy mystic change, and felt my blood / Glow…” | Continues thoughts across lines, mirroring flowing emotion or thought. |
| Epiphora | “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall” | Repetition at the end of lines for emphasis and rhythm. |
| Hyperbole | “Whispering I knew not what of wild and sweet” | Exaggerated expression of emotional or sensory intensity. |
| Imagery | “Thy sweet eyes brighten slowly close to mine” | Descriptive language appealing to the senses to create vivid mental pictures. |
| Irony | “I asked thee, ‘Give me immortality’” | What Tithonus wished for becomes his punishment—opposite of his expectation. |
| Metaphor | “Alas! for this gray shadow, once a man” | Compares himself to a shadow to show his loss of humanity and vigor. |
| Mood | “Cold are all thy lights” | Conveys sorrow, isolation, and emotional coldness. |
| Paradox | “Immortal age beside immortal youth” | A seemingly contradictory idea that reveals the unnaturalness of his condition. |
| Personification | “The vapours weep their burthen to the ground” | Gives human actions to nature to reflect grief and decay. |
| Repetition | “Ever thus” | Repeated phrases highlight enduring emotional states or cycles. |
| Rhetorical Question | “Why should a man desire in any way / To vary from the kindly race of men?” | Used to provoke thought and emphasize the naturalness of mortality. |
| Symbolism | “Silver star” | Objects like stars symbolize destiny, guidance, or the divine. |
| Tone | “Thou seëst all things, thou wilt see my grave” | The tone evolves from mournful to resigned, reflecting internal acceptance. |
Themes: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
1. The Curse of Immortality: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson explores the devastating consequences of immortality without eternal youth.
Granted immortality by the goddess Aurora, Tithonus endures endless aging while she remains forever young. His plea, “Me only cruel immortality / Consumes: I wither slowly in thine arms,” captures the agony of being trapped in a decaying body. Once godlike in beauty, he is now “a gray shadow, once a man.” Tennyson uses Tithonus’s suffering to show that eternal life, when separated from youth, becomes a slow death rather than a gift.
2. Nature’s Cycle vs. Eternal Stagnation: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson reflects on the contrast between natural life and unnatural existence.
The poem opens with imagery of decay: “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall.” Everything in nature follows a natural life cycle—birth, death, and renewal. Tithonus alone is excluded: “Man comes and tills the field and lies beneath.” By rejecting this cycle, he becomes a warning against defying the natural order. His question, “Why should a man desire… to vary from the kindly race of men?” reveals the central message: death is not a curse, but a necessary part of life.
3. The Divide Between Mortal and Divine Love: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson explores the tragic gap between human frailty and divine affection.
Though loved by the goddess Aurora, Tithonus cannot share in her eternal youth. Her beauty only deepens his misery: “Immortal age beside immortal youth.” While she weeps for him, he doubts that her love can ease his suffering: “Can thy love, / Thy beauty, make amends?” Tennyson shows that love, even divine, cannot bridge the gap between immortality and decay—highlighting the loneliness of being suspended between human and god.
4. Acceptance of Death: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson emphasizes the necessity and mercy of death.
Tithonus envies mortals who “have the power to die” and begs Aurora to “release me, and restore me to the ground.” Unlike divine beings who are timeless, humans find peace in the cycle of life and death. The poem asserts that death is not defeat but fulfillment. Tithonus’s final wish—to return to the earth—echoes the truth he’s learned too late: “The Gods themselves cannot recall their gifts.”
Literary Theories and “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
| Literary Theory | Application to Tithonus | Reference from the Poem |
| Mythological / Archetypal Criticism | Examines the poem through classical myth and universal archetypes. Tithonus is the tragic hero punished for defying nature by seeking immortality. | “I asked thee, ‘Give me immortality’” — evokes the myth of Tithonus and his overreaching desire. |
| Psychoanalytic Criticism | Analyzes Tithonus’s inner turmoil: fear of decay, identity loss, and subconscious longing for death. | “Let me go: take back thy gift” — expresses repressed regret and a subconscious death wish. |
| Feminist Criticism | Focuses on Aurora’s portrayal as a powerful immortal woman who is also emotional and passive, revealing a male-centered view of female divinity and emotion. | “Why wilt thou ever scare me with thy tears” — reflects on the emotional representation of the female figure. |
| Ecocriticism | Interprets the conflict between nature’s cycles and Tithonus’s unnatural immortality as symbolic of man’s alienation from nature’s rhythms. | “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall” — natural decay contrasts with Tithonus’s static immortality. |
Critical Questions about “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
1. How does “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson redefine the idea of immortality as a curse rather than a blessing?
Tithonus’s immortality, granted by Aurora, is portrayed not as divine favor but a cruel distortion of nature. Unlike the gods who remain eternally youthful, he suffers endless aging: “Me only cruel immortality / Consumes: I wither slowly in thine arms.” His physical decay and emotional torment contrast sharply with Aurora’s radiant, cyclical renewal. The poem prompts readers to question whether the human desire for immortality truly considers its consequences. Tennyson seems to argue that without youth, vitality, and purpose, eternal life becomes a burden rather than a gift.
2. In what ways does “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson present death as a natural and even desirable part of life?
Throughout the poem, death is not feared, but longed for. Tithonus envies mortals who “have the power to die” and imagines peace among the “grassy barrows of the happier dead.” Nature follows its own rhythm—“The woods decay, the woods decay and fall”—while he remains unnaturally suspended. His plea to Aurora, “Release me, and restore me to the ground,” reveals his desire to return to the cycle of life and death. Tennyson repositions death from a tragic end to a necessary, even merciful release from suffering.
3. How does “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson explore the limitations of divine love in the face of human suffering?
Aurora’s love, though seemingly eternal, cannot heal Tithonus’s anguish. She sheds tears for him, “thy tears are on my cheek,” and yet his suffering endures. The line “Can thy love, / Thy beauty, make amends?” reveals his doubt that even divine affection can reconcile the pain of unending decay. Their love is marked by imbalance: she renews with each dawn, while he continues to waste away. The poem questions whether love—especially one involving an immortal and a mortal—can truly overcome the boundaries of time and physical suffering.
4. What does “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson suggest about the dangers of defying natural order and human limits?
Tithonus’s downfall begins with his desire to escape death, a wish granted thoughtlessly by Aurora: “Then didst thou grant mine asking with a smile.” The gods cannot undo this mistake: “The Gods themselves cannot recall their gifts.” His eternal life becomes a punishment for his ambition to transcend mortality. Tennyson presents a deeply philosophical reflection on human boundaries—those who defy them, like Tithonus, become isolated from the “kindly race of men.” The poem serves as a cautionary tale about the hubris of attempting to alter the fundamental truths of human existence.
Literary Works Similar to “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
- “Ulysses” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
→ Both poems are dramatic monologues reflecting on aging, heroism, and the consequences of pursuing greatness beyond mortal limits. - “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats
→ Like Tithonus, this poem explores the tension between the desire for eternal existence and the acceptance of mortal suffering. - “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot
→ This poem shares Tithonus’s introspective tone and preoccupation with time, decay, and existential isolation. - “Sailing to Byzantium” by W.B. Yeats
→ Yeats, like Tennyson, grapples with aging and immortality, imagining an eternal life removed from the natural cycle. - “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came” by Robert Browning
→ Browning’s monologue, like Tennyson’s, presents a solitary speaker on a journey filled with despair, weariness, and a yearning for resolution.
Representative Quotations of “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall” | The poem opens with this image of natural decline, setting the stage for the contrast between mortal decay and Tithonus’s unnatural condition. | Ecocriticism – Emphasizes harmony in nature’s life-death cycle versus the disruption caused by eternal life. |
| “Me only cruel immortality / Consumes” | Tithonus expresses how immortality has become a burden that slowly destroys him. | Psychoanalytic Criticism – Highlights internal suffering and the psychological torment of endless life. |
| “Alas! for this gray shadow, once a man” | He reflects on his past glory and the present state of being a mere remnant of himself. | Mythological/Archetypal Criticism – Symbolizes the fallen hero archetype who suffers for transgressing divine boundaries. |
| “I asked thee, ‘Give me immortality’” | Recalling his fateful request to Aurora, granted without foresight or wisdom. | Moral/Philosophical Criticism – Explores the ethical implications of desire, choice, and unintended consequences. |
| “Why should a man desire in any way / To vary from the kindly race of men?” | Tithonus questions the wisdom of separating himself from humanity and mortality. | Existentialism – Reflects on human finitude and the meaning found within shared human experiences, including death. |
| “Immortal age beside immortal youth” | He suffers the pain of aging while Aurora remains untouched by time. | Feminist Criticism – Reveals the imbalance in their relationship and the idealization of feminine beauty through a male lens. |
| “Let me go: take back thy gift” | A desperate plea to be freed from the immortality that has become his curse. | Psychoanalytic Criticism – Represents a death wish, regret, and longing for natural closure. |
| “The Gods themselves cannot recall their gifts” | A statement about the irrevocable power of the gods and the permanence of fate. | Mythological/Archetypal Criticism – Reflects on divine law and tragic destiny. |
| “Release me, and restore me to the ground” | Tithonus asks for death, seeking peace in returning to the earth. | Ecocriticism – Advocates rejoining the earth’s natural cycles and ending his disconnection from it. |
| “Cold are all thy lights, and cold my wrinkled feet” | He describes his alienation in Aurora’s immortal realm, where everything feels lifeless to him. | Symbolism & Romanticism – Uses sensory imagery to evoke emotional and physical isolation from vitality. |
Suggested Readings: “Tithonus” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
- Lowell, Edward J. “Alfred, Lord Tennyson.” Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. 28, 1892, pp. 420–32. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20020545. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
- Gwynn, Frederick L. “Tennyson’s ‘Tithon,’ ‘Tears, Idle Tears,’ and ‘Tithonus.’” PMLA, vol. 67, no. 4, 1952, pp. 572–75. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/459827. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
- Weinfield, Henry. “‘Of Happy Men That Have the Power to Die’: Tennyson’s ‘Tithonus.’” Victorian Poetry, vol. 47, no. 2, 2009, pp. 355–78. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40347051. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
- Lynch, James J. “Tennyson’s ‘Tithonus,’ Huxley’s ‘After Many a Summer’ and Waugh’s ‘The Loved One.’” South Atlantic Review, vol. 51, no. 4, 1986, pp. 31–47. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3199755. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.