A traveler walks a dark, uneven road, guided only by a faint warmth from a distant light. Along the way the light reveals bright corners, small pockets of comfort where the speaker can rest and feel at home. Curiosity always pulls them onward, though, and each new corner seems lovelier than the last. The trouble is that the darkness between them keeps growing deeper and longer.
By the end, the warmth has weakened and the speaker starts to doubt the choice: "Have I lost my way?" They remember the earlier corners clearly and wonder if they should have stayed. Still, the poem doesn't end in regret. The speaker lets themselves be guided and keeps moving toward the light and a final destination.
The mood begins gentle and cozy, then turns uneasy and gloomy, and finally settles into quiet, stubborn hope. The poem reads like a picture of life, where the pull of something better can make us leave good things behind.