The title points to the old idea of keeping a crowd fed and amused, and the three short stanzas read like glimpses of what that costs. In the first, people put up with abuse "in a dead hour" as a form of entertainment. It's unclear whether they are the ones being mocked or the ones watching, and that uncertainty is part of the unease. Either way, someone is being used for a show.
The second stanza turns to a "gentleman" who has to lie while his mouth itches to bite. The image suggests anger held back for the sake of politeness or survival, a truth he can't say aloud. The last stanza widens out to streets "so full of people" that they "present a great stomach," a crowd imagined as one huge appetite.
The speaker never states a feeling outright, but the tone is cold and watchful, close to disgust. The mood is restless and hungry, with suppressed anger running under the surface.