The Wall in Robert Frosts "Mending Wall" As A Symbol of Division
The Wall in Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall “
As a Symbol of Division The ordinarily mundane takes a thought arousing spin in one of Robert Frost’s earlier works, “Mending Wall”. This poem is a striking take on an otherwise commonplace ritual between two farmers in the spring. Because the poem is in blank verse, it carries a casual folksy feel throughout, contradictory to its deeper message and paradoxical tone.
“Good fences make good neighbors.” This line is a paradox when compared with the previous statement, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Fences equate to walls, and what are walls but provisional boundaries? The boundary in this story is a fence made of stone that separates the properties of two neighboring farmers. This wall is the focal point of the poem, the subject that brings to attention the divide between individuals. The speaker one day finds the wall broken from what appears to be the after effects of winter. He calls his neighbor to meet with him to fix the wall and does so annually. The wall is ironic in that although it separates the two individuals, it brings them together once a year. The two live united, but separated. The wall is a metaphor for the separation between the speaker and the neighbor and perhaps even a greater analogy for the division of people as a society. These divisions could include a division of thought, which we see is different for the two characters. The speaker believes that the wall is unnecessary when he asks his neighbor, “Why do they make good fences? Isn’t it where there are cows? But here there are no cows.” His neighbor replies with the same old adage he stated before. It is apparent that the neighbor and speaker are of differing opinions and backgrounds. We might even assume that the neighbor and speaker are of different ages, meaning there may be a generational gap between the two that creates this difference of opinion.
“Something there is, that doesn’t love a wall
That sends the frozen
As a Symbol of Division The ordinarily mundane takes a thought arousing spin in one of Robert Frost’s earlier works, “Mending Wall”. This poem is a striking take on an otherwise commonplace ritual between two farmers in the spring. Because the poem is in blank verse, it carries a casual folksy feel throughout, contradictory to its deeper message and paradoxical tone.
“Good fences make good neighbors.” This line is a paradox when compared with the previous statement, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Fences equate to walls, and what are walls but provisional boundaries? The boundary in this story is a fence made of stone that separates the properties of two neighboring farmers. This wall is the focal point of the poem, the subject that brings to attention the divide between individuals. The speaker one day finds the wall broken from what appears to be the after effects of winter. He calls his neighbor to meet with him to fix the wall and does so annually. The wall is ironic in that although it separates the two individuals, it brings them together once a year. The two live united, but separated. The wall is a metaphor for the separation between the speaker and the neighbor and perhaps even a greater analogy for the division of people as a society. These divisions could include a division of thought, which we see is different for the two characters. The speaker believes that the wall is unnecessary when he asks his neighbor, “Why do they make good fences? Isn’t it where there are cows? But here there are no cows.” His neighbor replies with the same old adage he stated before. It is apparent that the neighbor and speaker are of differing opinions and backgrounds. We might even assume that the neighbor and speaker are of different ages, meaning there may be a generational gap between the two that creates this difference of opinion.
“Something there is, that doesn’t love a wall
That sends the frozen