The poem begins with the speaker describing her pensive mood. She is not addressing anyone in particular; she seems to be thinking out loud. The night before, she was lying down and thinking about her loneliness. She craves some kind of spiritual connection, as she feels isolated from the world. Her soul is so deprived of comfort that any kind of nourishment she finds falls short of satisfying her needs. During this somber reflection, she has an epiphany: To truly survive in this world, one must connect with other people. Loneliness is a product of keeping to oneself, and a life without human connection leads one’s soul to decay. The speaker laments her loneliness and says with conviction that other people also cannot survive in such a state.
The speaker then goes on to describe the sad lives of wealthy people. Millionaires have so much money that they don’t even know what to do with it. Their wives live frantically and carelessly, and their wealth only seems to give them anxiety and emptiness. Their children are similarly sad and wasting away their days in loneliness. The speaker believes firmly that money cannot buy happiness. Only togetherness can make people truly happy. The speaker once again repeats her lament about loneliness, giving the poem the quality of a song.
The speaker addresses the listener for the first time at the poem’s climax. She asks the listener to listen closely to her message. She believes that the entire human race is suffering, and she feels that there are signs of more troubles to come. In fact, the speaker has been recounting not only her own pain, but the pains of humankind. She relays a wise and urgent message to the listener: Humanity needs to work together to rise above the problems in the world. Societal issues such as war and racial tensions can be solved if people emerge from their loneliness and take the time to understand one another. Through solidarity, loneliness can be cured and the world can live in harmony.
The poem concludes with the speaker repeating her lament on loneliness, once again emphasizing the passion and certainty of her convictions.
