"Round and Round" by Vikram Seth is a short poem about a traveler who has just experienced a stressful, day-long airplane flight. Now the traveler is waiting at the baggage claim area to collect his suitcase, and as he watches the carousel go around and around with people's bags on it, he suddenly notices a small, red, round suitcase. He's thrilled! He used to know a woman a long time ago who owned a suitcase just like that. Although he hasn't seen her in seven years, he's excited to think that he might bump into her now, and he gets lost in a daydream about his past experiences with this lady. But his enthusiasm is quickly extinguished when an old man whom the speaker doesn't know claims the little red suitcase. Sadly, the speaker claims his own suitcase, then leaves.
As you can see, "Round and Round" is a poem that tells about a brief personal experience. It moves quickly from boredom to excitement and anticipation to disappointment. For that reason, the title, "Round and Round," is a good description of the speaker's feelings as they change, as well as a good literal description of the baggage carousel in the airport.
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