Mending Wall
BY ROBERT FROST
About The Author
Robert Frost, a prominent American poet born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, California, is celebrated for his vivid depictions of rural life in New England. His poetry captures the essence of everyday experiences and landscapes, using simple yet profound language that resonates with readers. Frost's work often delves into themes of nature, human choices, and the complexities of life, making him one of the most beloved and studied poets of the 20th century. Notable poems by Frost include "The Road Not Taken," a reflection on decision-making and the paths we choose in life; "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," which evokes a sense of tranquility and contemplation in nature; and "Fire and Ice," exploring themes of desire and destruction. Frost's ability to infuse ordinary scenes with deep meaning and his masterful use of language continue to inspire readers and writers around the world. Frost received four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry during his lifetime and is highly regarded for his works such as "The Road Not Taken," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and "Fire and Ice." His poetry often explores themes of nature, human experiences, choices, and the complexities of life.
Mending Wall (Poem)
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
‘Stay where you are until our backs are turned!’
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
‘Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down.’ I could say ‘Elves’ to him,
But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
Introduction
“Mending Wall” is a poem by the American poet Robert Frost. It was published in 1914, as the first entry in Frost’s second book of poems, North of Boston. The poem is set in rural New England, where Frost lived at the time—and takes its impetus from the rhythms and rituals of life there. The poem describes how the speaker and a neighbor meet to rebuild a stone wall between their properties—a ritual repeated every spring. This ritual raises some important questions over the course of the poem, as the speaker considers the purpose of borders between people and the value of human work. Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" is a deceptively simple poem that explores the idea of barriers, both physical and metaphorical. The speaker and his neighbor engage in an annual ritual of repairing the stone wall separating their properties. As they work, the speaker questions the purpose of the wall, while his neighbor clings to the traditional saying, "Good fences make good neighbors.
Central Idea
The central idea of the poem hinges on the tension between tradition and progress. The speaker represents a more questioning and open-minded approach, wondering if the wall is truly necessary. Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall" revolves around the theme of boundaries, both physical and metaphorical, and the human tendency to create and maintain barriers between individuals and communities. The poem explores the concept of walls as both necessary for maintaining order and divisive, questioning the reasons behind building and repairing them. It delves into the themes of tradition, isolation, communication, and the dichotomy between unity and separation. Through the interactions between the narrator and his neighbor as they mend the wall between their properties, Frost raises deeper questions about the nature of relationships, the importance of understanding and connection, and the impact of barriers on human interactions and perceptions. He observes the natural world actively working to bring the wall down, and ponders the lack of cows (the original purpose of fences) on their land. In contrast, the neighbor embodies tradition, holding fast to the proverb about good fences.
Uniqueness and Appeal
Frost's brilliance lies in using a simple scenario to explore complex themes. The poem is full of vivid imagery, like the "frozen-ground-swell" pushing against the wall and the speaker's neighbor resembling an "old-stone savage armed" with stones. The contrast between the speaker's openness and the neighbor's traditionalism creates a dynamic tension that keeps the reader engaged. The poem leaves us pondering the purpose of walls in our own lives, and whether they bring us closer or keep us apart.
Summary
Every spring, a speaker and his neighbor engage in the familiar task of mending the stone wall that divides their properties. The speaker, however, can't help but question its purpose. He observes the natural world actively working against the wall, with frost pushing it up and mysterious gaps appearing. He also points out the lack of cows (the original purpose of fences) on their land.
In contrast, the neighbor is a firm believer in tradition. He clings to the proverb, "Good fences make good neighbors," refusing to question the wall's necessity. The speaker feels a sense of mischief and tries to nudge his neighbor to think critically about the wall's purpose. He argues that good fences might only be necessary when there's livestock to keep contained, which isn't the case for them.
The speaker even considers suggesting mythical creatures like elves are responsible for the gaps in the wall, but ultimately desires his neighbor to reach his own conclusions. The poem ends with the neighbor, resolute in his traditional beliefs, repeating the proverb about good fences.
Underlying Themes:
Tradition vs. Progress: The poem explores the tension between clinging to old ways and embracing change. The speaker represents a more questioning and open-minded approach, while the neighbor embodies tradition.
The Purpose of Walls: The poem delves into the symbolic meaning of walls. The physical wall between the properties represents the emotional and philosophical barriers that can divide people. The speaker wonders if these walls are truly necessary or if they hinder connection.
Nature vs. Man-made Structures: The poem highlights the contrast between the natural world and human-made constructions. The speaker observes how nature actively tries to dismantle the wall, suggesting that these barriers might go against a natural order.
Borders: The physical wall represents the borders we establish, both literally and metaphorically. The speaker questions the need for these borders, wondering if they create unnecessary separation.
The Value of Work: The annual ritual of mending the wall highlights the value placed on hard work and tradition. The neighbor sees the work as necessary, even if the wall's purpose seems unclear.
Change and Modernity: The speaker's questioning nature represents a push for change and a move away from blind adherence to tradition. He seems to yearn for a more open and connected way of living.
Reference to Context
There is some force that doesn’t like walls. It causes the frozen ground to swell underneath a wall, and the wall's upper stones then topple off in the warmth of the sun. This creates gaps in the wall so big that two people could walk through them side-by-side. And then there are the hunters who take apart the wall—that’s something different. I often have to come and fix the spots where hunters haven't left a single stone in place, as they tried to flush out the rabbits that hide in the wall in order to make their barking dogs happy. No one has seen or heard these gaps in the wall being made. We just find them there in the spring, when it comes time to fix the wall. I reach out to my neighbor, who lives over a hill, and we find a day to get together and walk along the wall, fixing these gaps as we go. He walks on his side of the wall and I on mine, and we deal only with whatever rocks have fallen off the wall on our side of it. Some of them look like loaves of bread and some are round like balls, so we pray that they’ll stay in place, balanced on top of the wall, saying: "Don’t move until we’re gone!" Our fingers get chafed from picking up the rocks. It’s just another outside activity, each of us on our side of the wall, nothing more.
There’s no need for a wall to be there. On my neighbor’s side of the wall, there’s nothing but pine trees; my side is an apple orchard. It’s not like my apple trees are going to cross the wall and eat his pine cones, I say to him. But he just responds, "Good fences are necessary to have good neighbors." Since it’s spring and I feel mischievous, I wonder if I could make my neighbor ask himself: "Why are they necessary? Isn’t that only true if you’re trying to keep your neighbor’s cows out of your fields? There aren’t any cows here. If I were to build a wall, I’d want to know what I was keeping in and what I was keeping out, and who was going to be offended by this. There is some force that doesn’t love a wall, that wants to pull it down.” I could propose that Elves are responsible for the gaps in the wall, but it’s not exactly Elves, and, anyway, I want my neighbor to figure it out on his own. I see him, lifting up stones, grasping them firmly by the top, in each hand, like an ancient warrior. He moves in a deep darkness—not just the darkness of the woods or the trees above. He does not want to think beyond his set idea about the world, and he likes having articulated this idea so clearly. So he says it again: “Good fences are necessary to have good neighbors.
Poetic Devices in "Mending Wall"
Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" utilizes various poetic devices to create a rich and thought-provoking experience. Here's a breakdown of some key devices:
Imagery: Vivid descriptions bring the scene to life. We can almost feel the "frozen-ground-swell" pushing against the wall and see the neighbor "bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top / In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed."
Something there is that doesn't love a wall, / That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, / And spills the upper boulders in the sun" (Lines 1-3)
"We wear our fingers rough with handling them" (Line 22)
"He moves in darkness as it seems to me, / Not of woods only and the shade of trees" (Lines 41-42)
Personification: The poem gives human-like qualities to non-human things. Nature is personified as a force that "doesn't love a wall" and actively works to bring it down.
Nature as a force working against the wall:
"Something there is that doesn't love a wall" (Line 1)
"And makes gaps even two can pass abreast" (Line 4)
Metaphor: The wall itself becomes a metaphor for the barriers that can exist between people, both physical and emotional.
The wall as a barrier between people:
"We keep the wall between us as we go" (Line 12)
"He will not go behind his father's saying, / And he likes having thought of it so well / He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’" (Lines 43-45)
Repetition: The repeated act of mending the wall emphasizes the cyclical nature of tradition and the speaker's ongoing struggle with its meaning. Additionally, the neighbor's repeated saying, "Good fences make good neighbors," reinforces his unwavering belief in the wall's necessity.
The act of mending the wall:
"On a day we meet to walk the line / And set the wall between us once again" (Lines 10-11)
"Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder / If I could put a notion in his head" (Lines 32-33)
The neighbor's saying:
"‘Good fences make good neighbors.’" (Line 27, repeated in Line 45)
Aphorism: The neighbor's proverb, "Good fences make good neighbors," is a short, pithy saying that embodies his traditional viewpoint.
The neighbor's proverb:
"‘Good fences make good neighbors.’" (Line 27, repeated in Line 45)
Rhyme Scheme
"Mending Wall" is written in blank verse. This means it lacks a consistent rhyme scheme but uses a rhythmic pattern of ten syllables per line (iambic pentameter) for the most part.
While there are no consistent rhymes, Frost occasionally employs slant rhyme for subtle emphasis. For instance, "line" and "again" in lines 13 and 14 offer a near rhyme. This subtle use of rhyme adds a touch of musicality without detracting from the poem's natural flow.
The focus in "Mending Wall" lies more on the rhythm and imagery created by the language itself, rather than a strict adherence to a rhyme scheme.
