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The poem contrasts airy purposelessness with the grounding pressure of having feet on the earth, suggesting that thought becomes better only when it remains tied to lived reality.

Its title matters. Waiting here is not passive; it is the state in which drifting ideals are tested against the ground.

'Waiting' weighs aimless delight against grounded thought: 'The good greatness / And the clean pleasure / without purpose / of man / Is only wandering / in the clouds.' The air 'is very fine / in all ways,' but the poem tips toward the earthbound - 'Yet with feet on the ground / Many times thought / makes it better' - so reflection, not reverie, is what improves the wait. The metaphysical preference is stated plainly and without strain.