The word “forbear” has long carried the dual sense of commanding or choosing to abstain, and its literary use reflects this nuanced meaning. In many texts it functions as an imperative—a call to hold back one’s actions or words—as seen when characters are told to “forbear your mirth and rude alarm” [1] or when a speaker directly demands, “forbear” from indulging in a behavior [2]. In other instances, it expresses an internal resolve to resist temptation or distraction, such as in the succinct declaration “But I forbear” [3] or when a character cannot help but briefly pause before speaking [4, 5]. Additionally, epic and dramatic works, from Homer’s command in “Forbear, my sons!” [6] to Dickens’s reflective “I could not forbear inquiring” [5, 7], illustrate how the term conveys both restraint and deliberate abstention. Across genres—from historical narratives and philosophical essays to epic poetry—“forbear” serves as a stylistic and thematic tool that reinforces the moment of self-control or the need for temperance in human conduct.