The poem sets two scenes side by side and lets them speak to each other. In the first, a small room is packed with people, and an old man holds forth, boasting about the time he spent in prison. It's a noisy, cramped picture, full of talk and a kind of swagger that turns confinement into a story to be proud of.
Then the poem shifts. We get a field, four horses, and evening light. There's no commentary, no people, no boasting. The lines are quiet and open, and the space feels wide after the crowded room.
The speaker never says what they feel, but the contrast suggests a preference, or at least a quiet unease with the first scene. The title, "Inside/outside," hints at the idea: the old man talks about being shut in while he is still, in a sense, shut in a little room. The field offers a freer kind of stillness. The mood is calm, observant, and gently wry.