The narrator reflects on a vast journey that, despite its physical breadth, fails to yield meaningful experiences. The phrase suggests that their travels, rather than enriching their understanding of the beautiful country they explored, have left a sense of degradation and loss. Instead of gathering precious memories, they accumulate remnants of a superficial adventure, reducing it to mere material artifacts such as maps and discarded items.

This melancholy realization culminates in the recognition of emotional pain, particularly indicated by the ongoing sobs of a companion each night. The narrator's desperate attempts to avoid confronting this sorrow by pretending to be asleep highlight a deep sense of guilt and disconnection. Ultimately, the journey becomes not a passage to enlightenment but an accumulation of regrets and disillusionment.