Victorian elements and ideas in Tennyson’s Oenone and Tithonus

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was the greatest poet of the Victorian age, and during his lifetime, he was more popular than Robert Browning and Matthew Arnold. One of the reasons for Tennyson’s popularity was his ability to capture the spirit of his time. In other words, he had a good understanding of what people thought during his lifetime. This made him very famous and successful. The two poems under discussion, Oenone and Tithonus, are based on Greek mythology. They also contain moral lessons, yet they reflect Victorian elements and ideas. As a result, these poems were fascinating to Victorian readers.

The Victorian age in England began with the reign of Queen Victoria. However, many people believe that it started slightly earlier with the Reform Act of 1832. Victoria ascended the British throne in 1837. It was a very important time for England for many reasons. There were political issues, as ordinary people were demanding voting rights and democracy. The British people witnessed significant changes in various fields, particularly in science and knowledge. It was a very unstable time, with many things happening in a short period. Tennyson himself was somewhat conservative and did not favor rapid change. Therefore, in Oenone and Tithonus, we can see Tennyson criticizing those who sought change too quickly or recklessly.

If we look at Oenone, we will notice that Paris neglected his devoted wife, Oenone. She was dedicated, loving, and caring toward Paris, but he did not reciprocate her feelings. When the three goddesses offered him three gifts, he chose not to select knowledge. In doing so, he neglected wisdom, an idea Tennyson strongly disapproved of. Tennyson, being a man who valued knowledge, wanted to emphasize the importance of education and intellectual growth.

Neglecting knowledge, Paris pursued beauty. He cared more for passion than for knowledge and logic. Oenone tried to reason with him using logic, but Paris refused to listen to what was right and rational. Tennyson may have symbolized the idea that if people prioritize passion and beauty over logic and knowledge, social disharmony and unrest will follow. As a result of Paris’ actions, Troy was completely destroyed in a devastating war.

In Oenone, Tennyson aimed to convey a message to the people of his time, particularly in Victorian England, emphasizing the importance of embracing knowledge over beauty. He suggested that individuals must be careful in their choices in life; otherwise, they will face suffering.

Tithonus conveys a different message for the Victorian people. Tithonus sought immortality and received divine blessings for it. This desire reflects a growing emphasis on science and knowledge. During the Victorian era, many scientists and scholars began to challenge Christianity and religion as a whole. The criticism of religion became so pronounced that Charles Darwin was able to publish his book, claiming that there was no God and that the Bible was fundamentally flawed. According to Darwin’s theory, human beings did not originate from divine creation but evolved through natural processes. Tennyson may have wanted to suggest that if we forget God and focus solely on science and knowledge, destruction may follow.

Tennyson also warned the Victorian people about their desires. The message of Tithonus can be summarized as: “Be careful about what you wish for.” He wanted to convey to his fellow countrymen that if they desired too much, like Tithonus, they would ultimately suffer. During this time, there was significant political activity, and ordinary people were demanding more rights and democracy. As a result, there was a great deal of violence during the Victorian age, and Tennyson was not someone who favored social anarchy.

I have already stated that Tennyson was not fond of rapid change in society. In Tithonus, he aimed to convey to his people that the natural way is the best way. Tithonus desired something unnatural—immortality—which ultimately led to his destruction and suffering.

In conclusion, I would like to say that in these two poems, Oenone and Tithonus, Tennyson conveyed important messages to the Victorian people. 

The moral lesson in “Tithonus” and “Oenone”

Tennyson was perhaps the most famous poet of the Victorian age. His poems often contain some moral lessons. The two poems “Oenone” and “Tithonus” both are directly and indirectly related to the death of his close friend Arthur Hallam. So, it is natural to have some moral lessons and some reflections on life and death and suffering of people. Another two poems based on Greek mythology called “Ulysses” and “Lotus Eaters” should also be taken into consideration when talking about poems like “Tithonus” and “Oenone”.

First I like to talk about the moral lesson in “Oenone”. The moral lesson in “Oenone” is somewhat clear and it is a very beautiful but simple poem. Paris was a prince, but he was not a good husband. He was fond of some gods and goddesses, but as a human being, he was terrible.

There is a strong moral lesson that if you get too much carried away with your emotion then you are bound to suffer. Oenone did not think anything but became crazy for Paris. She did not bother to think whether Paris was a good man or a bad man. The same can be said about Paris who got a very kind and devoted wife in Oenone, but yet he became crazy when he got the offer from Aphrodite that he would be able to get married to the most beautiful woman in entire Greece. Tennyson is suggesting here that emotion is not enough in life and we must apply knowledge and our brain. We must use our senses and think about life. When it comes to marriage you must not easily take any decision. Otherwise, you will suffer badly in life just as Oenone suffered.

“Tithonus” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a dramatic monologue. In the poem, Tithonus tells the reader his story and his suffering from immortality. Aurora, the goddess of dawn, falls in love with Tithonus and brings him to live with her. Tithonus asks Aurora to make him immortal but forgets to ask for eternal youth. As a result, he grows old and weak but does not die. The poem opens up with Tithonus lamenting his immortality. In this poem, we can find two moral messages- accepting death and shun greed.

In the original Greek version, it was not Tithonus but Aurora, who asked Zeus to make Tithonus immortal but forgets to ask for eternal youth. The moral message Tennyson tried to give his readers is, “Death is a normal part of life. Trying to overcome death means break of that cycle which would not bring any good to human beings.”

Life is dear to all of us. We are afraid of death and it is inevitable. However, life without death is immortal life and it is not so attractive. Tithonus is immortal, but he is not enjoying his immortality but lamenting it. He tells Aurora to take back her gift of immortality, but that would not be possible because once the god grants something, he cannot take it back. Tithonus says, 

Why should a man desire in any way

To vary from the kindly race of men,

Or pass beyond the goal of ordinance

In the end, Tithonus refers to ordinary people as “happy men” because have the power to die. 

Another moral lesson of this poem is the effect of greed. Tithonus was greedy for immortality. He finally got it, but it did not do him any good. Tithonus said,

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.

He prayed to Aurora for immortality and Aurora grant him his wish. It was like a charity by a wealthy man, who had too much wealth and did not bother what he gave. Now, he is suffering from immortality. He is old but he cannot die. He thinks that an old man like him cannot live with a goddess who is immortal and young. 

Treatment of the Greek mythology in “Oenone” and “Tithonus”

The romantic poets were not that much interested in writing about Greek mythology as we can hardly find any poem of Wordsworth or Coleridge related to the topic. However, the Victorian poets were just the opposite, and Tennyson, in particular, was deeply interested in Greek mythology. Robert Browning was interested in Renaissance. Tennyson’s two poems “Oenone” and “Tithonus” both deal with Greek mythological characters and there we can find Tennyson giving different treatment about mythology and the mythological characters.

First, I like to talk about Oenone who was a mythological character. He married Paris, the prince of Troy. In fact, she was the first choice of Pairs, who abandoned her for Helen.

We all know the reason behind Paris going after Helen. Aphrodite promised him that if he gave the golden apple to her then she would give the most beautiful woman of Greece to Paris as his wife. Here, in this poem, Tennyson has presented Greek mythology in a new light. In ancient Greece, it was not such a big crime to abandon the first wife and going after another woman. Women did not have that much respect in society. In our age, if this matter happened then Oenone could have gone to court and filed a lawsuit against Paris. However, in ancient Greece Oenone did have no choice but to lament her fate and even she thought of committing suicide. During the Victorian age, the condition of women was gradually improving and Queen Victoria was herself a woman. Still, it was not like today. Women still had limited access to education, job and their wealth. They had no political right or voting right during the time Tennyson wrote. Tennyson was not himself a feminist, but here in the poem, he has shown the suffering of women. This suffering happened because Oenone did not have any right as a woman or as a wife. He was totally dependent on the mercy of Paris. After Paris abandoned her, her life was all but finished even though she was pregnant with a child.

Tennyson has focused more on the misery and suffering of Oenone in the poem than describing the mythological story. This is a very nice thing that he has done because normally mythological poets are often full of miracles of gods and goddesses. Here, the focus is not on Helen or not on Aphrodite but on the bad condition of Oenone.

“Tithonus” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a dramatic monologue. In the poem, Tithonus tells the reader his story and his suffering from immortality. Aurora, the goddess of dawn, falls in love with Tithonus and brings him to live with her. Tithonus asks Aurora to make him immortal but forgets to ask for eternal youth. As a result, he grows old and weak but does not die. The poem opens up with Tithonus lamenting his immortality.

In the original Greek version, it was not Tithonus but Aurora, who asked Zeus to make Tithonus immortal but forgot to asks for eternal youth. Tennyson changed the story to provide readers a moral message and that message is “Death is a normal part of life. Trying to overcome death means break of that cycle, which would not bring any good to human beings.”

Life is dear to all of us. We are afraid of death and it is inevitable. However, life without death is immortal life and that is not so attractive. Tithonus is immortal, but he is not enjoying his immortality but lamenting it. He tells Aurora to take back her gift of immortality, but that would not be possible because once the god grants something, he cannot take it away. Tithonus says,

Why should a man desire in any way

To vary from the kindly race of men,

Or pass beyond the goal of ordinance 

In the end, Tithonus refers to ordinary people as “happy men” because they have the power to die. 

Through Tithonus, Tennyson is addressing the readers not to be afraid of death. Tennyson wrote this poem shortly after the death of his close friend, Arthur Henry Hallam. His death affected Tennyson very much. He died at a very young age. Tennyson was trying to justify his death.

The poet also tried to warn the readers about greed. Tithonus was greedy for immortality. He finally got it, but it did not do him any good. Tithonus said,

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.

He prayed to Aurora for immortality and Aurora grant him his wish. It was like a charity by a wealthy man, who had too much wealth and did not bother what he gave. Now, he is suffering from immortality. He is old but he cannot die. He thinks that an old man like him cannot live with a goddess who is immortal and young.