a) The poem is about a man who at first only knows this other man by his appearance. They later meet again 3 miles from home and they just stare at eachother. Further from home, the two men meet again and bow to eachother. When they meet the next time, they chat as if they have been friends their whole lives. Finally, the original man helps his new friend in the wilderness. The poem ends with the plea that nobody should be unknown to anybody.
b) The theme of the poem is that knowing someone just by sight is not good enough, and that a deeper relationship should exist. This idea is illustraded in the story the poet creates in the poem.
Personal Connection:
This is one of my favorite poems because it tells a great story of how two strangers become great friends. I also enjoyed the idea that the last stanza illustrates. It says that everyone should get to know everyone, and by the story of what comes from knowing someone, it sounds like a good idea.