Hazel Hall sets two kinds of movement side by side. In daylight, roads are practical: one leads out to the countryside, another runs toward town, and people walk them in both directions with the sun as their guide. The tone here is steady and ordinary. After dark, the same roads seem to belong to a different group of travelers. The evening star appears, and feet that were not heading anywhere in particular begin moving through the night, “following dreams up and down.” The poem suggests that roads carry not just errands and work but also longing, imagination, and private inner lives. The speaker doesn’t judge either kind of walking. Instead, she quietly observes how a road’s meaning shifts with the hour. The mood is calm and a little mysterious, like watching lamplight on a familiar street and wondering who else might be passing while the world sleeps.
Roads — Summary
One road leads out to the country-side; One road goes by on its way to town; And always, as long as the sun is guide, The feet that love them go up and down.
After the evening star's white light Has lured from the hills or the lighted town. There are other feet all through the night. Following dreams up and down.