Stanza 1

The poem "Always" opens with a succinct two-line stanza. The first line boldly presents the word "Always." Following this, the speaker and their audience, simply referred to as "we," remain nameless yet essential. An intriguing contradiction emerges within the prediction: "we" are destined to progress to an undefined realm, yet paradoxically, no true advancement occurs. This subtle contradiction distinguishes the notions of mere progression from genuine advancement. The inclusion of "even" hints that this journey of progression is already underway.

Stanza 2

The second stanza unveils a tapestry of celestial wonders, introducing planets, nebulae, and comets. Planets, those majestic giants, orbit the sun within a solar system. A nebula, with its ethereal cloud of cosmic dust and gas, shimmers like a luminous misty veil. Comets, icy travelers of the cosmos, trail long radiant tails as they near the sun. These celestial marvels illuminate the night sky, and "The Don Juan of 1003 comets" flits among them, in pursuit of "new forces."

Don Juan, a legendary Spanish figure, was a nobleman famed for his romantic escapades. His tales have inspired countless plays, poems, and operas. In "Always," Don Juan could symbolize Apollinaire himself, embodying the poet's adventurous spirit. With romantic escapades aplenty, Apollinaire fancied himself a Don Juan. Here, the speaker morphs into the poet, venturing into unexplored poetic realms. Ghostly apparitions, akin to nebulous mists, linger as harbingers of new fears and "new forces."

Stanza 3

In the third stanza, the perspective broadens, shifting from specific celestial entities to the vast expanses of the universe itself. The dynamic between the explorer and the explored unfolds, caught between discovering new worlds and the inevitable forgetfulness. The speaker muses on places lost to "truly great forgetters," suggesting that even Christopher Columbus, who believed he had discovered a new route to the East Indies, falls into this category. His landing in the Bahamas, mistakenly thought to be the gateway to Asia, serves as a fleeting discovery, echoing the transient nature of nebulous ghosts and mists from earlier stanzas.

Stanza 4

The poem concludes with a meditation on the notion of loss, which paradoxically paves the way for an unexpected bounty or "windfall." In its final moment, the speaker acknowledges that this loss is, in fact, the loss of life itself, transforming into a bittersweet victory.