Alfred Lord Tennyson · English Literature

What is the primary theme of the poem 'Tithonus'?

  1. The joy of living forever without physical decline
  2. The tragedy of immortality without eternal youth
  3. A mythological battle between gods and titans
  4. The wonder of a hero discovering a new land
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Correct answer: The tragedy of immortality without eternal youth

Tithonus was granted immortality by Aurora (the Dawn), but he forgot to ask for eternal youth. He is doomed to wither forever, begging for the 'release' of death that is granted to all other mortal things.

Difficulty: Medium Question 11 of 20

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