Welcome to Poem of the Day – The Calm by John Donne.
John Donne’s The Calm is a powerful and complex exploration of human suffering, fate, and existential frustration. In this poem, Donne meditates on the nature of human experience after a storm, both literal and metaphorical. The calm that follows the storm, traditionally seen as a time of rest or relief, is instead depicted as a period of agonizing stagnation and emotional despair. Through the use of vivid imagery, metaphors, and philosophical reflections, Donne presents a profound commentary on human suffering and the paradoxes of life and fate.
The Calm Explanation
1. The Tyranny of the Calm
The poem opens with the image of a storm that has passed, suggesting a sense of relief. However, the calm that follows is described not as peaceful but as a “stupid calm,” which provides no solace for the speaker. In fact, it only aggravates the emotional turmoil that remains:
“Our storm is past, and that storm’s tyrannous rage,
A stupid calm, but nothing it, doth ‘suage.”
Here, the storm is referred to as “tyrannous,” suggesting that it was overwhelming and destructive. Typically, storms are followed by calm, which offers respite. However, the calm in Donne’s poem is anything but comforting. The word “stupid” suggests that this calm is senseless and ineffective, as it does not alleviate the speaker’s suffering or offer the resolution they might expect after turmoil. Instead of providing the relief one would hope for, it exacerbates the speaker’s emotional distress, making the calm more oppressive than the storm itself.
Donne’s choice to depict the calm as “stupid” creates a paradox, as one would normally expect calm to signify peace or resolution. Instead, the calm becomes a metaphor for stagnation, a state where the speaker’s emotions remain frozen, unresolved, and in a state of discomfort. This inversion of expectations emphasizes a deeper existential frustration.
2. The Inversion of the Fable and the Affliction of the Block
In the second stanza, Donne shifts the metaphor from the storm and calm to the inversion of a classical fable. He refers to a traditional fable in which a stork is a symbol of relief or salvation, but now a “block” afflicts the speaker:
“The fable is inverted, and far more
A block afflicts, now, than a stork before.”
This inversion suggests that what was once seen as a source of help—represented by the stork—is now replaced by a “block,” an obstacle that hinders rather than helps. The “block” symbolizes something that prevents movement or progress, much like the stagnation the speaker feels in the calm. The word “block” connotes an immovable object, and its presence highlights the speaker’s inability to move forward, both literally (as the ships are “rooted”) and metaphorically, as the speaker remains trapped in a state of emotional and existential paralysis.
Donne here highlights the frustration that comes with stagnation. Whereas the storm was violent but finite, the calm brings a longer-lasting and more insidious form of suffering. This inversion reflects the speaker’s deeper realization that the absence of change or motion can be even more painful than the forceful upheaval of a storm.
3. The Decay of Human Achievement and Beauty
The next set of lines reflects on the decay of human endeavors, achievements, and beauty. Donne compares the decay of life to several images of deterioration:
“And all our beauty, and our trim, decays,
Like courts removing, or like ended plays.”
In these lines, Donne suggests that everything that once seemed beautiful or vibrant—whether it be personal appearance, social status, or intellectual achievement—eventually decays. The comparison to “courts removing” evokes the fleeting nature of power and wealth, suggesting that what seems permanent is always subject to loss. Similarly, the image of “ended plays” emphasizes the idea that life itself is a performance, with an inevitable conclusion. As in a play, the show ends, and the actors (human beings) exit the stage.
This decay symbolizes the transience of human existence. The speaker is reflecting on the inevitability of aging, the passing of time, and the eventual dissolution of all things. The calm, which follows the storm, becomes the setting where the decay is most apparent—when there is no forward motion, one is left to confront the decay of their life, their body, and their purpose.
4. The Futility of Human Effort and Fate
As the poem continues, the speaker contemplates the futility of human effort and the arbitrary nature of fate. There is a growing sense of powerlessness as the speaker considers how little control humans have over their lives:
“We can nor lost friends nor sought foes recover,
But meteor-like, save that we move not, hover.”
In these lines, the speaker reflects on how life moves forward without any real progress. Human efforts to recover lost relationships or fight against external forces are futile. The comparison to a meteor, which burns brightly and quickly fades, suggests that human lives are fleeting and insignificant. However, the key difference is that the speaker, unlike a meteor, does not move but hovers in place, representing a sense of stagnation and frustration.
Donne uses these metaphors to express the speaker’s deep dissatisfaction with the lack of meaningful change. While the meteor burns and disappears, the speaker remains stuck, incapable of moving forward in their emotional or spiritual journey. This is a powerful image of existential frustration—the desire for progress and resolution but an inability to achieve either.
5. The Paradox of Human Existence
In the latter part of the poem, Donne delves into a profound reflection on the paradox of human existence. He suggests that human life is governed by fate, and humans are often caught in a cycle of suffering and helplessness:
“What are we then? How little more, alas,
Is man now, than before he was? He was
Nothing; for us, we are for nothing fit;
Chance, or ourselves, still disproportion it.”
The speaker questions the very nature of human existence. He asks what humans are, implying that humanity is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The reflection that “he was nothing” suggests that human beings are ultimately powerless and meaningless in the face of the vast, indifferent forces of nature and fate. The paradox here is that, despite this apparent lack of purpose, humans still experience suffering and desire meaning.
This nihilistic outlook on human existence is encapsulated in the poem’s final lines:
“We have no power, no will, no sense; I lie,
I should not then thus feel this misery.”
The speaker’s internal contradiction is revealed here. He acknowledges that if humans truly had no power or will, they would not feel the misery and emotional turmoil that they do. The very fact that he is experiencing this misery suggests that, in spite of the philosophical assertions of powerlessness, human consciousness and emotional suffering still persist.
Conclusion
The Calm is a deeply philosophical and meditative poem by John Donne, in which the poet reflects on the nature of suffering, fate, and human existence. Through vivid metaphors and striking imagery, Donne conveys the paradox of human life—the tension between the desire for relief and the reality of existential paralysis. The calm that follows the storm is not a source of peace but a period of stagnation that forces the speaker to confront the impermanence and futility of human life. In this way, The Calm is both a personal meditation and a broader commentary on the human condition, offering a sobering view of life’s inherent suffering and the paradox of existence.
