Forever Poem by Charles Stuart Calverley

Forever

Rating: 3.0


"Forever": 'tis a single word!
Our rude forefathers deemed it two:
Can you imagine so absurd
A view?

"Forever"! What abysms of woe
The word reveals, what frenzy, what
Despair! "For ever" (printed so)
Did not.

It looks, ah me! how trite and tame!
It fails to sadden or appal
Or solace--it is not the same
At all.

O thou to whom it first occurred
To solder the disjoined, and dower
The native language with a word
Of power:

We bless thee! Whether far or near
Thy dwelling, whether dark or fair
Thy kingly brow, is neither here
Nor there.

But in men's hearts shall be thy throne,
While the great pulse of England beats.
Thou coiner of a word unknown
To Keats!

And nevermore must printer do
As men did long ago; but run
"For" into "ever," bidding two
Be one.

"Forever"! passion-fraught, it throws
O'er the dim page a gloom, a glamour:
It's sweet, it's strange; and I suppose
It's grammar.

"Forever"! 'Tis a single word!
And yet our fathers deemed it two:
Nor am I confident they erred;
Are you?

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Sylvia Frances Chan 08 October 2021

Each word its own period, era or time. Sublime poem.5 Stars to the fullest! Whatever, I regard both are correct. Perfectly thought and written. Amazing poem!

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Nanthinii Mohan 25 July 2015

The rational bidding of 'for' and 'ever' also stirs the emotional twinge when it grows as 'forever' in the end... And whomsoever to bind that, did it for a good reason I believe... A witty verbal repartee..! ! Great write! !

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Ramesh T A 25 July 2015

It is a wonderful analytical poem on the word - forever! Whether it is forever or for ever, it doesn't make any difference! Likewise there are words like sunrise, sunset, nowhere!

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Kim Barney 25 July 2015

Very clever commentary on grammar by Mister Calverly - - perhaps we should rename him Cleverly. This piece is much more thought-provoking and less frivolous than it appears at first glance, and deserves a much higher rating than the 5.7 out of ten given by the 38 voters so far.

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Charles Stuart Calverley

Charles Stuart Calverley

Martley, Worchestershire
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