The speaker has spent her life restrained and moderate, but the thought of her lover arriving threatens to undo all that self-control. She compares desire to alcohol: just anticipating him makes her feel like she’s about to become very drunk. She has even feared going outside, afraid she might stagger under the influence of him and bump into people on the street. Now, waiting, she feels painfully thirsty—her mouth dry and uncomfortable—while her mind is loud with the imagined sound of wine filling cup after cup. The poem captures the dizzy, almost unbearable tension of longing for someone, where anticipation feels physical and intoxicating. The mood is urgent and feverish, mixing pleasure with discomfort, as if wanting someone badly enough can make the body forget its usual composure.
Anticipation — Summary
I have been temperate always, But I am like to be very drunk With your coming. There have been times I feared to walk down the street Lest I should reel with the wine of you, And jerk against my neighbours As they go by. I am parched now, and my tongue is horrible in my mouth, But my brain is noisy With the clash and gurgle of filling wine-cups.