The eternal stands in stark contrast to the temporal, human experience. In poetry, this contrast is a primary source of tension and longing. The eternal represents the realm of God, truth, and the soul's ultimate home. Poets use images of the ever-turning wheel of time, the fading flower, and the flowing river to highlight the transience of the world, against which the promise of the eternal—the still point, the unchanging light, the timeless moment—shines with irresistible appeal, offering comfort and a higher perspective on earthly struggles.

Eternal contrasts with temporal existence; in theology, God’s eternality implies timelessness (Boethius) or everlasting duration; poets juxtapose human brevity (“a flower that fades”) with divine permanence (“from everlasting to everlasting”), using stars, mountains, or ocean tides as symbols of enduring presence.