The title ‘Forevermore’ is a bit of an antithesis play on Nevermore. The poet and his raven usually brings nevermore to mind.
“Nevermore” means “never again”, the famous word repeated by a raven in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” to symbolize finality and despair.
After Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is probably the most known poem in western culture.
“Forevermore” means for eternity, for always, or forever . It brings a continuation indefinitely into the future, serving as a more emphatic or emotive alternative to the word “forever”. I have been one to say “Poetry is dead,” but it’s not exactly dead. It carries on with the small percentage of people who truly love poetry. It will always be so, forevermore.
This painting is just 12″ wide by 16″ high on stretched canvas. I did it with acrylic paint in a style based on one I worked in a lot decades ago in a mostly commercial manner. You will I am sure see the graphic novel / comics style.
Hanging on my wall in my studio for just a few days, it has been asked if it is a self portrait by multiple people. Is it? Not exactly, but maybe a little. I guess I am the model and inspiration. It has my ever-present cap, it has facial hair and glasses similar, but also different to mine. For example, I have been wearing light, wire rimmed, small glasses for thirty years rather than these more standard style frames. I have a goatee of similar style, but it is graying whereas this guy has a dark goatee, which I never had. Mine was more red or auburn at different points in my life before the white strands started arriving.
I am the poet, and you (if you follow my work) already know I have a special love for crows and ravens. All corvids actually, but it is crows and ravens I feed and talk to on the daily. That is why they show up in my art so often. If I had some magpies visiting they would most likely be just as present in my work.
If you like the painting and the idea of Forevermore with poetry rather than never more, you may like a print of this little painting. It can be had HERE via my Pixels page.
Poetry is dead to the masses, but it will still live forevermore to those who love the written word and who appreciate art.
Since this was about poetry I suppose I must include one.
The crowd moves past with blinded eyes
No ear attends where the old song lies
The books grow dust on the quiet floor
Their attention lost to social media’s roar
Yet still a circle of hearts will stay
And lift the words that will not decay
Though many forget what we adore
Poetry lives forevermore
I suppose I could have done something better, but that was what came to mind on the spot as I was about to post this. It will need suffice. Lackluster poetry is still poetry.