Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mark Strand’s "Coming to This" unfolds as a meditation on the inevitability of emotional and existential inertia, charting the slow unraveling of desires and the emptiness that follows. The poem is stark in its tone, eschewing sentimentality to present a resigned acknowledgment of a life lived, choices made, and the disconnection that lingers in their aftermath. Through its precise language and restrained imagery, the poem captures the weight of existence and the futility of expectations.

The opening lines, “We have done what we wanted,” suggest a definitive statement of agency and fulfillment, but this assertion is quickly undercut by the description of what follows. The speaker reveals that dreams have been “discarded,” exchanged for “the heavy industry of each other.” The phrase “heavy industry” transforms the relational and emotional labor of human connection into something mechanical, burdensome, and devoid of joy. This metaphor sets the tone for the rest of the poem, in which personal and shared grief are portrayed as inevitable byproducts of human choices. The phrase “welcomed grief” suggests an active participation in sorrow, as if it has become a companion or a habit, and “ruin” is labeled “the impossible habit to break.” These lines subtly critique the human tendency to normalize and even embrace suffering, framing it as a self-perpetuating cycle.

The transition to the present moment with “And now we are here” brings the narrative into sharp focus. The description of a dinner that “is ready and we cannot eat” becomes a powerful image of paralysis and disconnection. The meal, a symbol of sustenance and shared experience, lies untouched, emphasizing the emotional void between the participants. The “meat” in its “white lake of its dish” and the “wine [that] waits” evoke a scene of sterile detachment, as though even the simplest acts of life—nourishment, communion—have become inaccessible. The stillness of the scene resonates with the broader theme of emptiness, underscoring a profound loss of meaning.

The titular moment, “Coming to this,” encapsulates the culmination of choices and experiences, presenting a state of being where nothing is left to anticipate or dread. Strand writes, “nothing is promised, nothing is taken away,” a line that both soothes and unsettles. On one hand, it suggests the release from expectations and disappointments; on the other, it highlights the absence of hope or possibility. The final lines deliver the starkest blow: “We have no heart or saving grace, / no place to go, no reason to remain.” These words confront the reader with an existential void, where even the barest motivations for existence—direction, purpose, or connection—are absent.

Strand’s use of language throughout the poem is notable for its simplicity and precision. The brevity of each sentence mirrors the stripped-down emotional landscape the poem describes. There are no grand gestures or poetic flourishes; instead, the poem’s starkness becomes its most striking feature. The imagery—such as the untouched dinner and the inanimate waiting of the wine—reflects the stillness and stagnation at the heart of the poem. The interplay between action (“we have done”) and inaction (“we cannot eat”) underscores the dissonance between human agency and its ultimate futility.

“Coming to This” does not offer solace or resolution. Instead, it invites the reader to confront the weight of life’s cumulative choices and the quiet despair of reaching a state of emotional and existential inertia. Yet, within its bleakness, there is a subtle critique of passivity, a call to recognize and perhaps disrupt the cycles that lead to such stasis. Strand’s understated and precise language ensures that the poem lingers, a haunting reflection on the human condition and the complexities of desire, grief, and disconnection.

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