The poet says that something causes the ocean to rise and fall; to him, the ocean appears as sorrowful as he himself is.

This couplet beautifully captures the feeling of melancholy and projection. The poet observes the river's natural fluctuations—its rises and falls—and attributes them to some unseen force. However, the core message is deeply personal: the river's apparent sorrow mirrors the poet's own internal sadness. It suggests that even nature seems to share our emotional burden, making the pain feel universal and deeply understood.