English 333-II 7.
Every image following the dashes is negative, inevitable, final.
The rhythm of the poem, as we talked about in class, mimics the movements of the dog mentioned in the poem's first line. The mimicry is not just there for its own sake, though. In other words, Levertov argues that you ought to focus not on where you're going, but what you experience along the way. My interpretation of this was that you don't need to change the focus of your life, but rather how you approach that focus. I think Levertov is arguing for an approach that is more aware of its surroundings.