The poem is about a difficult journey, and about the effort of keeping up a brave face while on it. The opening lines suggest that crying could carry a person somewhere, almost like a vehicle, "home" or toward "new springs," which might mean fresh beginnings or the source of water and renewal. Grief here is not just something to endure; it might also move you.
Then the speaker turns to the road itself. The journey "out-drives any ruts," so it seems to leave old patterns behind, yet the next line admits "but not so easy." That small hesitation matters. Progress and difficulty sit side by side.
The last two lines are the most telling. The speaker "drove myself to be merry / talking of travel," which sounds like forced cheer, a way of covering tiredness or sadness with chatter. The mood is quiet, honest, and a little wistful: movement forward, but with feelings held just beneath the surface.