Forever: Poems

James Longenbach's sixth collection, Forever, explores a life lived with the knowledge of its end, posing the question of why the poet once lived as if he would live forever. The poems evoke the vivid dailiness of domestic life and the specificity and poignance of memories, looking back gratefully on a lifetime of self-making and self-shattering events.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 25 August 2023
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Praised for a voice with the crystalline, transformative, pure pitch of a lyric poet (Ilya Kaminsky), James Longenbach explores a life lived with the knowledge of its end in his sixth collection. These luminous, lyrical poems pose a profound question: Why did this poet once live as if he would live forever? And what does it mean to know that we will not?

Forever delves into the depths of love, encompassing its inception in the first poem, "Two People," and its enduring presence in the final piece, "Forever." In between, the volume explores the impending demise of all that we cherish—the finite lives of others, the mortal beauty of Venice—all brought to urgent focus by the poet's own cancer diagnosis.

Through vivid and evocative language, these lyrics evoke the everyday details of domestic life and the specificity and poignancy of memories. They are deeply personal, achingly autobiographical, as noted by Langdon Hammer, American Scholar. The poems in Forever offer a forthright, moving, and wry reflection on a lifetime of self-making and self-shattering events.

Longenbach's mastery of language and his ability to convey emotions with precision and clarity make Forever a truly remarkable collection. It is a testament to the human spirit's resilience and the power of poetry to capture the essence of life. This collection will resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds, offering a profound exploration of the human experience and the enduring questions that accompany it.

Weight: 114g
Dimension: 139 x 210 x 8 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781324052067