The first time I read this poem, I didn't really get it. It sounded good but.... So, I looked up some words (okay, maybe a lot) to get the gist of the whole thing and one thing I can say about it is that it can really call images to mind (of course when you know the meaning of the words). I don't have a hard time imagining the galleon "dipping into the Tropics" with its cargo of diamonds and topazes.
The different stanzas also speak of different eras and empires: the Assyrians, the Spanish and the English. It shows how objects of value differed in those times. The first two stanzas involve cargoes of great luxury while the last one is much more humble. It seems to be illustrating the things that defined a particular empire or time. As time passes, the things that people value become less and less grandiose and more utilitarian, practical and useful. What that says about our society now, I'm not really sure. Humble, yes. Rich? Yes too, I guess. But happy?
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