A man lowers his pail into a well that has been empty for years, and the poem quietly asks why. The first line sets up a small puzzle: he is "too young to be so old." Something has worn him down early, though the poem never says what. That silence makes the man feel real and a little mysterious.
The well seems to stand in for whatever he has lost or used up, perhaps hope, love, or energy. The final question, "What does he expect to retrieve / besides dusty stones and spiders?", sounds a bit blunt, even mocking. Still, the speaker's tone could just as easily be sadness or pity. Whoever is asking already knows the answer, yet the man keeps trying.
The mood is bleak and still, with a faint ache underneath. Dust, stones, and spiders suggest neglect. But the act of dipping the pail hints at stubborn, almost painful hope.