The central idea of the poem seems to be that life is an endless chain of ‘waitings’, for consciously or unconsciously man is perpetually waiting for things to happen, his hopes high and his spirit of expectancy alive.
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Stanza 1: These lines visualize the possibility of one being thrown up to- ‘heights beyond belief by a sudden earth tremor. We are awaiting that eventuality without being aware of it. Streaking: making a rapid movement in lines or streaks as in a lightning.
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Stanza 2: With the passing of time or due to despair, one’s senses may become ‘grounded’ or inactive. But we wait for something, some means by which we can keep our enthusiasms alive and active.
The imagery here is that of a plane taking off, sustained by will and effort.
Stanza 3: Once again a scene is visualized of natural forces raising us to great dazzling heights.
Stunning in its dazzling garment: The image here is that of a boat being ferried forward into the darkest regions of the night to the stellar regions.
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Stanza 4: This stanza refers to the jerky flow of blood into the arteries of our hearts. The rush of blood signifies the triumph of the human spirit over the impediments in its onward march. It also signifies its triumph over the infirmities of growing years.
Hardening arteries: With advancing age the arteries of the human circulatory system tend to harden, slowing the flow of blood, then leading to heart attacks.
Despairing heart: This refers again to a heart weakened either by age or by loss of hope.
Stanza 5: While at the mundane level we await a number of other things, our final wait is for the Word of God or salvation.