The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,
The vapors weep their burthen to the ground,
Man comes and tills the fields and lies beneath,
. . .
Me only cruel immortality
Consumes. . . .
However, his desire for the beautiful Aurora has not waned, and he is all the more desolate when he reflects upon his present impotence. He asks Aurora:
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?
. . .
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."

In these poignant lines, Tithonus reflects on the harsh reality of his immortality, which isolates him from the natural cycles of life and death. The imagery of decaying woods and weeping vapors underscores the relentless passage of time and the renewal characteristic of mortal existence, something Tithonus is painfully excluded from. He beseeches Aurora to revoke the gift that has become a curse, questioning why anyone would want to deviate from the path meant for humankind. This lament highlights a universal theme: the danger of overreaching human limits. His reference to the irrevocability of divine gifts underscores a tragic irony; the gods’ gifts, once granted, cannot be undone, binding Tithonus to a fate he cannot escape.