The second half of Falling
Awake consists of a single poem, spoken by a man, Tithonus, who is blessed
with the gift of eternal life but cursed with an aging process that never ceases.
The poem unfolds during a single dawn—one that will be repeated infinitely,
day after day, even as the man who speaks it becomes a little older each time. Dawn
is personified as a goddess (Aurora is one of her names) who fell in love with Tithonus
a long time ago.
Before commenting on the poem itself, begin by writing a little about the implications of this situation. Try to imagine what it might be like to be Tithonus. Then try to imagine what it might be like to be the Dawn.
Next, after having read the poem in its entirety, concentrate on several passages you find to be the most striking and try to explain what makes them so effective. If you wish, explore the dictionary definitions of words whose meanings are obscure or unknown to you, and report on how your research enhances your understanding of those passages.