Tithonus : Literary devices
Tithonus is a notable literary work by Alfred Lord Tennyson. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Tithonus.
Literary devices
Figure of speech:
Personification: Tennyson gives human feelings to non-human things. For example: “The woods decay, the woods decay and fall.” Here, the woods are described as if they can age and fall like humans. Besides, “Cruel immortality consumes me.” Here, Immortality is shown as a cruel being that destroys Tithonus.
Imagery: Tennyson uses vivid words to help readers imagine the scene. For example: “Far-folded mists and gleaming halls of morn.” Here, we can clearly imagine the quiet, misty eastern sky and shining palaces of the dawn. “Mouth, forehead, eyelids, growing dewy-warm with kisses.” This line creates a soft and warm image of love and memory.
Symbolism: There are Many things in the poem that stand for deeper meanings. Such as
Eos (Aurora): Symbol of eternal youth and beauty. She also symbolizes the pain of memory and the cruelty of time.
Tithonus’s Body: Symbol of human weakness and the curse of unnatural life. His decaying body shows the result of pride and wrong choices.
The Silver Star (Venus): Symbol of love, regret, and the passing of time. It appears above when Tithonus speaks of sorrow.
The Gleaming Halls of Morn: Symbol of the eternal, divine world that never changes. For Tithonus, it is now a prison, not a paradise.
The Earth (Grave): Symbol of peace, release, and natural end. Tithonus wishes to return to the earth to escape pain.