The Computation by John Donne (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions)

 

The Computation

by John Donne

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase, Analysis & Questions) 

The Computation

For my first twenty years, since yesterday

I scarce believed thou couldst be gone away;

For forty more I fed on favours past,

And forty on hopes that thou wouldst they might last;

Tears drowned one hundred, and sighs blew out two;

A thousand, I did neither think nor do,

Or not divide, all being one thought of you;

Or in a thousand more, forgot that too.

Yet call not this long life; but think that I

Am, by being dead, immortal; can ghosts die?

 

Summary

Line 1: “For my first twenty years, since yesterday”

The speaker begins by saying that it feels like the first twenty years of his life only happened "since yesterday"—suggesting that time has passed strangely or quickly, likely due to emotional turmoil.

 

Line 2: “I scarce believed thou couldst be gone away;”

He can hardly believe that the person he is speaking to (likely a beloved) is truly gone.

 

Line 3: “For forty more I fed on favours past,”

For the next forty years, he lived on the memories of the love and kindness previously shared with that person.

 

Line 4: “And forty on hopes that thou wouldst they might last;”

Another forty years were spent hoping that those memories and affections would continue.

 

Line 5: “Tears drowned one hundred, and sighs blew out two;”

He spent one hundred years crying and two more sighing—his sorrow consumed a massive amount of time.

 

Line 6: “A thousand, I did neither think nor do,”

For a thousand years, he was so overwhelmed or emotionally stagnant that he did nothing—not even think.

 

Line 7: “Or not divide, all being one thought of you;”

Perhaps in those thousand years, he could not divide his thoughts—his mind was consumed entirely by one thought: the person he loved.

 

Line 8: “Or in a thousand more, forgot that too.”

Then, for another thousand years, he even forgot that single thought, possibly due to deep sorrow, emotional numbness, or the passage of time.

 

Line 9: “Yet call not this long life; but think that I”

Despite the seemingly vast span of time he has described, he asks not to be considered as having lived a long life.

 

Line 10: “Am, by being dead, immortal; can ghosts die?”

He concludes by saying that since he is dead (likely emotionally or metaphorically), he is immortal—because once dead, one cannot die again. He rhetorically asks: “Can ghosts die?”

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Original:

1. For my first twenty years, since yesterday

Paraphrase:

It feels like the first twenty years of my life only happened as recently as yesterday.

 

Original:

2. I scarce believed thou couldst be gone away;

Paraphrase:

I could hardly believe that you were really gone.

 

Original:

3. For forty more I fed on favours past,

Paraphrase:

For another forty years, I survived by remembering the kindness and love you once gave me.

 

Original:

4. And forty on hopes that thou wouldst they might last;

Paraphrase:

Then I spent another forty years hoping that your love and favors would continue.

 

Original:

5. Tears drowned one hundred, and sighs blew out two;

Paraphrase:

I cried so much that it felt like a hundred years passed in tears, and I sighed through two more.

 

Original:

6. A thousand, I did neither think nor do,

Paraphrase:

For a thousand years, I didn’t do anything—not even think.

 

Original:

7. Or not divide, all being one thought of you;

Paraphrase:

Or maybe I couldn’t think of anything else, since all my thoughts were about you.

 

Original:

8. Or in a thousand more, forgot that too.

Paraphrase:

And then, for another thousand years, I even forgot that single thought of you.

 

Original:

9. Yet call not this long life; but think that I

Paraphrase:

Still, don’t call this a long life; instead, think of it this way:

 

Original:

10. Am, by being dead, immortal; can ghosts die?

Paraphrase:

Because I’m already dead (in spirit or emotionally), I’ve become immortal—after all, can a ghost die again?

 

Analysis in Detail

The Computation by John Donne is a metaphysical poem in which the speaker dramatically exaggerates the emotional toll of separation from a loved one. The poem reflects on time, grief, memory, and spiritual endurance. Using hyperbole and paradox, Donne fuses emotional experience with philosophical reflection, a hallmark of his poetic style.

 

Theme of Time and Emotional Measurement

The central metaphor of the poem is “computation,” or calculation—particularly of time. But this is not ordinary, calendar time; rather, Donne uses subjective emotional time. The speaker measures time not by clocks or calendars but by grief, memory, and longing.

He begins with “twenty years,” then adds “forty more,” then “one hundred,” “two,” and finally thousands—clearly a hyperbolic timescale, meant to express the depth and weight of emotional suffering.

This “computation” shows how time feels stretched or distorted when we are dealing with sorrow and absence.

 

Love, Loss, and Memory

The speaker is mourning the departure or loss of someone deeply loved. The poem’s emotional progression shows how:

He lived on past affection (line 3),

Then relied on hope for continued love (line 4),

Eventually dissolved into sorrow and inactivity (lines 5–8),

And finally reached a point of spiritual or emotional death (lines 9–10).

This journey from passion to despair to numbness is deeply psychological and spiritual.

 

Metaphysical Elements and Style

John Donne, as a metaphysical poet, blends intellectual concepts with emotional intensity. In this poem:

The use of paradox is clear in the final line: “can ghosts die?” This plays on the idea of being emotionally dead yet immortal—a contradiction used to emphasize the inescapability of grief.

The mathematical and philosophical language (“computation,” “divide,” “thousand”) gives the poem an analytical tone, even though it deals with matters of the heart. This contrast is typical of metaphysical poetry.

His abstract phrasing allows universal interpretation—this could be a romantic loss, death, or even spiritual abandonment.

 

Repetition and Structure

The poem has a single stanza of 10 lines, tightly woven and controlled. This structure mirrors the idea of a numerical or measured account of time. There is a build-up in time periods, moving from decades to centuries to millennia—this escalating scale dramatizes the depth and duration of sorrow.

 

Tone and Mood

The tone begins as reflective, turns mournful, becomes resigned, and ends as ethereal or ghostly.

There’s a haunting stillness in the last few lines. The speaker is not merely sad; he has become emotionally static, like a ghost, outside the realm of normal life.

 

Philosophical Implication

The final paradox—“Am, by being dead, immortal; can ghosts die?”—opens a philosophical reflection. If emotional death leads to timelessness, is that a curse or a kind of enduring love? Donne leaves the question open.

This could also suggest spiritual immortality—perhaps a soul that loves so deeply becomes eternal in a way that even death cannot undo.

 

Conclusion

In The Computation, Donne gives us a deeply felt yet intellectually crafted expression of love and loss. The poem captures how love can distort time, how memory sustains the soul, and how grief can lead to a paradoxical kind of immortality. It’s both a personal lament and a metaphysical meditation.

 

Possible Exam Questions     

What does the speaker mean by “For my first twenty years, since yesterday”?

 

How does the speaker measure time in The Computation?

 

What is the significance of the phrase “tears drowned one hundred”?

 

Identify and explain one example of hyperbole used in the poem.

 

What is the meaning of the line “can ghosts die?”

 

What is the speaker’s emotional state at the end of the poem?

 

How many years does the speaker mention in total throughout the poem?

 

What is the tone of the poem?

 

What does the phrase “fed on favours past” suggest about the speaker’s relationship with the beloved?

 

Why is the poem titled The Computation?

 

Describe how John Donne portrays the passage of time in The Computation.

 

In what way does the poem use exaggeration to emphasize emotional pain?

 

Explain the theme of emotional death in the poem.

 

Discuss how the structure and diction support the theme of grief in the poem.

 

How does the speaker’s perception of time reflect his inner emotional journey?

 

Analyze The Computation as a metaphysical poem.

 

Discuss the central theme of time and loss in The Computation.

 

How does John Donne use paradox and hyperbole to convey the speaker’s emotional turmoil?

 

Trace the emotional progression of the speaker in The Computation. How does it move from love to despair to detachment?

 

“The poem is both deeply personal and universally relatable.” Discuss this statement with reference to The Computation.