The meaning of Cavafy's poetry is deeply existential, as it highlights the tragic condition of man, the tragic essence of human existence, a reason where the impact of Cavafy's poetry on the modern person, the modern and postmodern person of the 20th and 21st centuries, could be sought.

Themes that preoccupy Cavafy within the same existential framework include the confinement of man, the loneliness of the individual that reveals the depth of his tragedy, as well as the concept of the irrevocable and the inevitable that defines human presence in the world.

Bound by cosmic forces, such as fate or destiny, man — but also the gods in their ancient Greek mythological form — appears powerless to oppose the flow of events.

The combination of objective factors surrounding the individual results in their being trapped within the walls, which—how did they not notice—were being built around them!