The theme that the excerpt above expresses is that poetry is genuine when it reflects truth and reality.
Poetry, in its existence, enables the passage of stories along generations, so in this essence, poetry is an instrument of history. Poetry has a long history, as it has already existed before prose.
I believe that the answer to the question asked above is that the expression means you have to carry something before achieving something or going somewhere.
Hope my answer would be a great help for you. If you have more questions feel free to ask here at Brainly.
