A Mile With Me

O who will walk a mile with me
Along life's merry way?
A comrade blithe and full of glee,
Who dares to laugh out loud and free,
And let his frolic fancy play,
Like a happy child, through the flowers gay
That fill the field and fringe the way
Where he walks a mile with me.

And who will walk a mile with me
Along life's weary way?
A friend whose heart has eyes to see
The stars shine out o'er the darkening lea,
And the quiet rest at the end o' the day,--
A friend who knows, and dares to say,
The brave, sweet words that cheer the way
Where he walks a mile with me.

With such a comrade, such a friend,
I fain would walk till journeys end,
Through summer sunshine, winter rain,
And then?--Farewell, we shall meet again!

Henry Van Dyke

DECEMBER 1902.

“Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”- Albert Camus.

 A Mile With Me is a beautiful poem by Henry Van Dyke. This poem is based on friendship and camaraderie. The poet raises a question “who will walk a mile with me?” but then in the next line he states the kind of person he wants to spend the wonderful and long journey of his life with. The poet knows that life is not easy it has its hard and easy times, its highs and lows its pros and cons but when you have a friend, comrade with you who is ready to share each and every moment of this eventful life that is when life is beautiful, that is when life is complete.

The poet wants a happy and joyous comrade who is free, who does not have a fear in the world. A friend who would not hesitate to indulge into play like a child along the field and that is where they would complete a part of the journey of their lives. The poet desires for a friend who would be there with him in happy times, when life is good; he wants to share the joy with this comrade.

The poet wonders whether who will walk a mile with him when life is weary. He wants such a friend who is not only willing to be a part of his happy days but also the sad and unhappy ones. A friend who will notice when the poet is in pain, when there is nothing to beat the eerie silence of the night, a friend who will notice the sorrow of the poet and try to cheer him up with the sweet words of friendship and that’s when they complete another journey of their life.  The poet says that a true friend is one who helps you and is there for you in all times, supports you through anything, he will praise you when you are right, scold you when you are wrong, cry with you when you are sad and laugh along with you through the happiness.

The poet concludes by saying that with such a friend; he would spend his whole life’s journey, through the seasons through the emotions; but their journey doesn’t just end here it would continue in their afterlife as well and in their afterlife is when they will meet again. The poet says that the friendship doesn’t end with life and death; it continues till the time your friend is with you throughout even if it’s after death.

The poem is a lyric. “Lyric poetry is usually a form of poetry with rhyming schemes that express personal feelings.”

This little book consists of a single poem, called "A Mile with Me" by Henry Van Dyke.
Inside this book, along with the poem are beautiful lithographed landscape illustrations.
Measuring 4 by 8 inches, this hardcover book is 12 pages long and was published in 1911 by the Hayes Lithographing Co. of Buffalo, New York.