Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Plague," Robert Creeley explores themes of isolation, fear, and the tragic alienation that occurs in times of widespread illness and social upheaval. Through vivid language and haunting imagery, Creeley captures the sense of estrangement and helplessness that accompanies a pandemic, likening present fears to a childhood memory of societal exclusion and suffering. The poem juxtaposes personal reflection with broader existential concerns, invoking the invisible boundaries that disease imposes on communities and the painful social divisions that emerge in response to fear.

The opening lines, “When the world has become a pestilence, / a sullen, inexplicable contagion,” set the tone with a bleak, almost resigned acknowledgment of global affliction. By describing the world itself as “pestilence” and “contagion,” Creeley emphasizes the pervasiveness of disease, as though it has tainted the very essence of existence. The adjectives “sullen” and “inexplicable” evoke a mood of silent despair and confusion, capturing how pandemics create a pervasive, souring atmosphere that infects not only the body but also the mind and spirit. The sense of inexplicability reflects the helplessness of confronting a threat that defies easy explanation or solution, as though the natural order has been disrupted by an invisible, indifferent force.

“When men, women, children / die in no sense realized, in / no time for anything,” portrays the pandemic’s indiscriminate impact, sparing no demographic and offering no comfort or closure. These lines suggest that people are dying with an unnerving abruptness, without the usual rituals of grief or the time needed to process loss. The phrase “die in no sense realized” implies that the scale and speed of death are beyond comprehension, emphasizing the dehumanizing effects of widespread tragedy, where individual lives blur into the statistics of mass suffering. This depiction of sudden, ungraspable death highlights the emotional toll of living through a pandemic, where loss becomes so constant that it ceases to feel real.

The line “a / painful rush inward, isolate” suggests that in the face of pervasive death and contagion, people retreat emotionally, focusing on self-preservation rather than communal support. This “rush inward” reflects the way fear compels individuals to protect themselves by withdrawing from others, resulting in an isolation that feels both physically and emotionally painful. The word “isolate” underscores the inherent loneliness of such a retreat, as though the collective experience of the pandemic paradoxically forces people into solitary confinement, each bearing their fear and grief in isolation.

Creeley draws a powerful parallel to his childhood in the lines, “as when in my childhood the / lonely leper pariahs so seemingly / distant were just down the street.” This memory of lepers, relegated to the shadows of society, resonates with the current experience of isolation and alienation. The lepers, “just down the street,” existed within the same physical spaces as the speaker, yet were cut off from social life, hidden “back of drawn shades, closed doors.” This image of neighbors so close yet entirely out of reach mirrors the social distancing that pandemics necessitate, highlighting the enduring stigma attached to illness. The comparison suggests that fear of contagion has always had a way of rendering people invisible, pushing them to the margins of society where they are neither seen nor acknowledged.

“No one talked to them, no one / held them anymore, no one waited / for the next thing to happen” poignantly captures the complete severance of human connection experienced by those affected by disease. The repetition of “no one” emphasizes the desolation and finality of this social rejection, where all forms of companionship, touch, and hope for the future are withdrawn. The absence of “talk,” “holding,” and “waiting” implies a community paralyzed by fear, where interaction is replaced by avoidance, and empathy is overshadowed by a desire for self-protection. This haunting image of complete social abandonment reveals the emotional and psychological scars left by pandemics, not only for those who are ill but for society as a whole.

In the lines “as / we think now the day begins / again, as we look for the faint sun,” Creeley introduces a faint note of hope amid the bleakness. The phrase “the day begins / again” suggests resilience, the idea that life continues despite the darkness. The image of “the faint sun” implies a desire for renewal, as if the speaker is searching for signs of light and normalcy amid the gloom. This image of the sun, though faint, represents an enduring hope that the day will bring warmth, clarity, and perhaps a sense of communal connection that has been lost.

The final lines—“as they are still there, we hope, and we are coming”—conclude the poem with a subtle, tentative sense of solidarity. The phrase “they are still there” suggests that those affected by disease, whether through illness or isolation, have not disappeared entirely; they remain a part of the community, albeit unseen. The inclusion of “we are coming” implies a shift toward reconnection, a recognition that people must eventually move beyond fear to reestablish human bonds. This closing sentiment of “we are coming” feels like a promise of return and reunion, suggesting that despite the suffering and separation imposed by disease, there is a persistent, if fragile, commitment to togetherness.

Structurally, "Plague" is composed of short, enjambed lines that mirror the fragmented, anxious state of mind produced by a pandemic. The lack of punctuation allows each thought to flow into the next, creating a sense of unease and continuity, as though the poem itself is caught in the relentless, unstoppable progression of the plague it describes. This form reflects the overwhelming nature of contagion, where each new fear and realization compounds on the last.

In "Plague," Robert Creeley examines the alienation, fear, and yearning for connection that pandemics instill in society. Through vivid recollections of both past and present experiences, the poem reveals the ways that illness disrupts community bonds and forces individuals into isolation, while also hinting at a lingering hope for eventual reunion. The poem suggests that while pandemics create an instinctive “rush inward” toward self-preservation, there remains an underlying desire to reconnect, to rebuild the human connections that fear and illness have fractured. Ultimately, "Plague" is a meditation on the fragile nature of community and the enduring, if tentative, hope that even in the darkest times, people may find their way back to one another.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...