The legend of Tithonus provides us—or at least should provide us—with a moral lesson in accepting our lot in life without getting too greedy or overambitious. The hapless young man of ancient mythology, whose story is retold by Tennyson in his poem, asked the goddess Aurora for the gift of immortality, which she duly gave him.

Unfortunately for Tithonus, he made a gigantic mistake. Although he asked for immortality, he didn't specify that he wanted to stay young and beautiful forever, as he should've done. So although he'll never die, he will remain perpetually old and gray.

As one can imagine, Tithonus is thoroughly miserable as a result of making such a bad deal. It's no wonder that he talks

Of happy men that have the power to die.

Immortality has become a burden to Tithonus. So much so that he asks Aurora to

Release [him], and restore [him] to the ground.

Tithonus's plight, though sad, is a direct result of his own greed and overambition. He was so obsessed with the thought of living forever, of exceeding the bounds of what is possible for a human being, that he never once stopped to consider the consequences of his actions.

And those consequences are shockingly clear. What was once such a beautiful youth has now become a wizened, decrepit old man, a truly pathetic sight to behold. Tithonus is now in the position where he finds immortality such an endless source of suffering that he's reduced to begging Aurora to restore him to his former state. How the mighty have fallen!