This line explains the whole poem and what Edna St. Vincent Millay's point is. This poem is about someone who has gone to the city and is feeling homesick for the sea. He or she wants to get away from all the loud noises that the city has to offer. Cars honking, construction going on, and other annoying noises. They want to go back home where the ocean is away from everything. They miss the sound of the ocean and everything it has to offer. They want a more peaceful environment. Just as it says, "sick of the city wanting the sea." This shows that people adapt to the environment that they live in and all of a sudden when there is a dramatic change you start to miss the things you are use to. The little things that go on in life can really seem big when you don't have them anymore.