How is the atmosphere of stagnation presented in Lotus Eaters?

Shortly after departing for home, Odysseus and his men were stranded on the land of the Lotus Eaters by a storm. Some of the men chowed down on the Lotus and decided to stay on the island forever. They basically did nothing all day. They kind of sat around like teenage boys with an X-Box. There the sense of the lotus causing trance like stagnation of the men. Odysseus had to sort of herd these guys like sheep back to the ship.