The passage describes how the narrator's perception of the world changed at different stages of life. As a newborn, the world seemed hazy and unfamiliar. In childhood, it seemed beautiful and full of wonder. In youth, the world was a place of romance and a desire for independence. As an adult, it represented family, work, and parenthood. Old age brought disillusionment as strength faded. At the end of life, the world seemed new again, as at birth, with existence feeling like an endless cycle.