Art thou abroad on this stormy night
on thy journey of love, my friend?
The sky groans like one in despair.

I have no sleep tonight.
Ever and again I open my door and look out on
the darkness, my friend!

I can see nothing before me.
I wonder where lies thy path!

By what dim shore of the ink-black river,
by what far edge of the frowning forest,
through what mazy depth of gloom art thou threading
thy course to come to me, my friend?

TITLE: My Friend seems like its going to be a happy poem about one person speaking about their friend.

PARAPHRASE: The speaker is concernedly questioning his friend as to why he is braving the stormy night to come see him in the first stanza. The speaker then says because his friend is out there trying to come to see him, he will not rest until he sees his friend come. He can't see anything outside due to the storm and consequently wonders where the friend is. He enunciates about the shore of the black river and the frowning forest and the depth of gloom outside and wondering if the friend is shortening his course of life to come see him.

ATTITUDE/TONE: The tone is very serious and passionate.

SHIFTS: There doesn't seem to be any shifts in the poem, the speaker is very concerned for his friend throughout the poem.

TITLE (2nd look): My Friend means so much more than the physical relationship between the two, and shows the deep emotional friendship on both ends of the relationship. The friend who is coming to see the speaker is a wonderful friend for braving nature's obstacles to come see him and the speaker is a good friend for being very concerned and worrying about his friend until he can see him again.
THEME: Friendship is the most important thing in the world, and with two people together in a deep friendship, nothing (not even nature) can keep them apart.