Forevermore

By Madison Julius Cawein

    I     O heart that vainly follows     The flight of summer swallows,     Far over holts and hollows,      O'er frozen buds and flowers;     To violet seas and levels,     Where Love Time's locks dishevels     With merry mimes and revels      Of aphrodisiac Hours.     II     O Love who, dreaming, borrows     Dead love from sad to-morrows,     The broken heart that sorrows,      The blighted hopes that weep;     Pale faces pale with sleeping;     Red eyelids red with weeping;     Dead lips dead secrets keeping,      That shake the deeps of sleep!     III     O Memory that showers     About the withered hours     White, ruined, sodden flowers,      Dead dust and bitter rain;     Dead loves with faces teary;     Dead passions wan and dreary;     The weary, weary, weary,      Dead heart-ache and the pain!     IV     O give us back the blisses,     Lost madness of moist kisses,     The youth, the joy, the tresses,      The fragrant limbs of white;     The high heart like a jewel     Alive with subtle fuel,     Lips beautiful and cruel,      Eyes' incarnated light!     V      Instead of tears, wild laughter      The old hot passions after,      The houri sweets that dafter      Made flesh and soul a slave!      Enough of tearful sorrows;      Enough of rank to-morrows;     The life that whines and borrows      But memories of the grave!     VI     The grave that breaks no netting     Of care or spint's fretting,     No long, long sweet forgetting      For those who would forget;     And those who stammer by it     Hope of an endless quiet,     Within them voiceless riot      When they and it have met.     VII     And God we pray beseeching, -     But Life with finger reaching,     Stone-stern, remaineth teaching      Our hearts to turn to stone;     Then fain are we to follow     The last, lorn, soaring swallow     Past bourns of holt and hollow      Forevermore alone.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Analysis & Notes:
The poem presents a deeply emotive exploration of love, loss, and remembrance. The recurring themes of passion, sorrow, and desire are presented sequentially in each stanza, each evoking a different emotional state. The poet uses vivid imagery and metaphors to paint a picture of the human heart's journey through love's highs and lows. The flight of summer swallows, for example, symbolizes fleeting moments of joy and passion, while the frozen buds and flowers signify dormant or lost love.

The poem's tone evolves from hope and longing to a mournful acceptance of lost love and the inevitability of pain. This progression is mirrored in the poem's structure, which consists of seven stanzas, each highlighting a different stage of the emotional journey. The poet employs a consistent rhyming scheme, lending a rhythmic, musical quality to the verse, which contrasts with the somber subject matter.

Noteworthy literary devices include personification, as seen in "Love Time's locks dishevels," where Love and Time are portrayed as human-like entities. This enhances the emotional depth of the poem, emphasizing the powerful and often overwhelming influence of these abstract concepts on human lives. The use of alliteration in phrases such as "weary, weary, weary" further illuminates the emotional state of the speaker, enabling readers to empathize with the speaker's despair.

In conclusion, this poem is a profound exploration of love, loss, and memory, blending rich imagery and emotive language to convey a deeply felt human experience. The poet's effective use of structure, tone, and poetic devices ensures that the poem resonates with readers, inviting them to reflect upon their own experiences of love and loss.

Understanding Elegy

An elegy is a form of poetry that expresses sorrow or lamentation, often for someone who has died. This type of poetry serves as a tribute to the deceased, reflecting on their life and the grief left behind.


Elegies are deeply emotional and personal, exploring themes of loss, mourning, and remembrance. Here are some defining characteristics:

  • Mournful Tone: Elegies are characterized by a tone of sadness and reflection, as the poet grapples with the pain of loss.
  • Tribute to the Deceased: The subject of an elegy is often someone who has passed away, with the poem serving as a memorial that honors their life and legacy.
  • Personal Reflection: Elegies often include personal reflections on the impact of the deceased on the poet's life, as well as broader musings on mortality and the human condition.
  • Structure and Form: While elegies can vary in form, they often follow a traditional structure that includes an expression of grief, praise for the deceased, and a sense of consolation or acceptance.

From ancient times to the present, elegies have provided a way for poets to navigate the complexities of grief and loss, offering solace and a means of preserving the memory of those who have passed.