“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

1. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
2. That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
3. And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
4. And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
5. The work of hunters is another thing:
6. I have come after them and made repair
7. Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
8. But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
9. To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
10. No one has seen them made or heard them made,
11. But at spring mending-time we find them there.
12. I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
13. And on a day we meet to walk the line
14. And set the wall between us once again.
15. We keep the wall between us as we go.
16. To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
17. And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
18. We have to use a spell to make them balance:
19. ‘Stay where you are until our backs are turned!’
20. We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
21. Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
22. One on a side. It comes to little more:
23. There where it is we do not need the wall:
24. He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
25. My apple trees will never get across
26. And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
27. He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
28. Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
29. If I could put a notion in his head:
30. ‘Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it
31. Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
32. Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
33. What I was walling in or walling out,
34. And to whom I was like to give offense.
35. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
36. That wants it down.’ I could say ‘Elves’ to him,
37. But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather
38. He said it for himself. I see him there
39. Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
40. In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
41. He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
42. Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
43. He will not go behind his father’s saying,
44. And he likes having thought of it so well
45. He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’

Introduction

Written in 1914, “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost first appeared in North of Boston (Frost’s poetic collection) in 1915 and quickly became one of his most popular poems. The poem’s popularity can be attributed to its timeless themes and simplicity. It explores the idea of boundaries and the human desire to create them as well as the notion behind traditions and the conflict between change and preservation. Frost’s use imagery and everyday language adds depth and meaning to the verses, making them relatable and thought-provoking. The focus of the poem is on the relationship between two neighbors and their differing opinions on the need for a physical barrier between them. It also touches on the broader themes of human connection and communication.

Annotations of Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Verse/Phrase/Word	Annotation
Frozen-ground-swell	This is a natural occurrence where the ground swells and heaves due to the expansion of water in the soil as it freezes and thaws. The poet uses this phenomenon to show how even nature doesn’t like the presence of a wall.
Upper boulders	Refers to the larger stones used to build the wall.
Gaps even two can pass abreast	These are the openings in the wall that are large enough for two people to walk through side by side.
The work of hunters is another thing	Refers to the damage caused by hunters who are out in the fields looking for prey, causing damage to the wall as they do so.
To please the yelping dogs	The hunters want to catch rabbits to please their dogs.
Spring mending-time	This is the time of year when the poet and his neighbor come together to mend the wall.
All pine and I am apple orchard	This is a metaphor for how different the poet and his neighbor are from each other. The neighbor is represented as a tall, sturdy tree, while the poet is represented as a fruit tree.
Good fences make good neighbors	This is a popular saying, often used to justify the building of walls or fences between neighbors. The poet questions the validity of this statement and wonders whether it is really necessary.
Elves	The poet jokingly suggests that the reason for the wall’s destruction may be the work of mischievous elves.
Old-stone savage armed	This phrase describes the neighbor as a primitive man, reminiscent of an ancient warrior.

Literary Devices in Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Literary Device	Verse as Reference	Meanings and Functions
Metaphor	Line 1: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall”	The metaphorical “something” that opposes the wall represents nature or the speaker’s own desire for freedom and openness.
Imagery	Lines 2-3: “That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, / And spills the upper boulders in the sun”	The imagery of the ground swelling and the boulders spilling creates a vivid picture of the physical force of nature working against the wall.
Irony	Lines 5-8: “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”	The irony lies in that the speaker is repairing the wall and acknowledging that the hunters who caused the damage are actually breaking the wall down to catch prey.
Symbolism	Line 9: “The gaps I mean”	The gaps in the wall symbolize the natural desire for connection and openness between people in contrast to the artificial separation of the wall.
Allusion	Lines 22-23: “One on a side. It comes to little more: / There where it is we do not need the wall”	The allusion is to a game where there are two teams and one side wins, but ultimately the game is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. This echoes the idea that the wall is ultimately unnecessary and serves no significant purpose.
Repetition	Line 35: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall”	The repetition of this line emphasizes the theme of the natural opposition to walls and the desire for openness and connection.
Paradox	Line 42: “Not of woods only and the shade of trees”	The paradox lies in the fact that the speaker is describing the neighbor moving in darkness, but then states that it is not just the darkness of the woods and trees that he is referring to, implying a deeper darkness within the neighbor’s personality or beliefs.
Irony	Lines 43-45: “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.’”	The irony lies in the fact that the neighbor blindly repeats his father’s saying without fully understanding its meaning or considering the potential negative consequences of creating boundaries between people.
Symbolism	“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall”	The wall represents barriers between people and the desire for human connection.
Metaphor	“And makes gaps even two can pass abreast”	The gaps in the wall can represent the spaces between people that can be bridged through communication and mutual understanding.
Irony	“He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’”	The speaker’s neighbor repeats the saying without understanding its true meaning or the irony that he himself is the one who destroys the wall each year.
Allusion	“He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’”	The neighbor’s saying alludes to a proverb that has been passed down through generations, reflecting the human desire for boundaries and separation.
Personification	“Spring is the mischief in me”	The speaker personifies the season of spring as a force that stirs up mischievous and rebellious feelings within him, prompting him to question the need for the wall.

Sound and Poetic Devices in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Literary Device	Examples/Reference	Meanings and Functions
Alliteration	Line 18: “We wear”	Emphasizes the repeated “w” sound, making the line flow smoothly and creating a rhythmic effect.
Assonance	Line 23: “There where it is we do not need the wall”	The repeated “e” sound creates a harmonious and musical effect, reinforcing the sense of collaboration and mutual agreement.
Consonance	Line 10: “heard them made”	The repeated “d” sound creates a sense of finality and closure, emphasizing the idea that the gaps in the wall are a fixed and unchangeable reality.
Rhyme Scheme	The poem does not have a consistent rhyme scheme.	The lack of a consistent rhyme scheme gives the poem a more conversational and informal tone, reflecting the speaker’s personal and reflective attitude.
Diction	Line 19: “‘Stay where you are until our backs are turned!’”	The use of imperative and colloquial language creates a sense of urgency and practicality, emphasizing the importance of the speaker’s task.
Verse Type	Blank Verse	The use of unrhymed iambic pentameter creates a sense of natural and conversational rhythm, reinforcing the poem’s reflective and introspective tone.
Stanza Type	The poem has no stanza. It has total 45 verses.	In the absence of any stanza, the poem shows a narrative.
Poem Type	Lyric Poem	The poem expresses the speaker’s personal thoughts and feelings, focusing on introspection and reflection rather than narrative or descriptive elements.
Tone	The tone of the poem is contemplative and reflective with occasional hints of irony and skepticism.	The speaker reflects on the meaning and purpose of the wall, questioning its necessity and exploring its symbolic significance. The tone is also marked by a sense of personal attachment and affection for the neighbor despite their differences.

Functions of Literary Devices in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

1. Function of Imagery: Robert Frost uses clear images when describing the physical act of the wall crumbling down. For example, he describes the ground swelling up and boulders spilling in the sun. This, according to him, allows the reader to visualize the force working against their efforts. As the poem shows, imagery also adds to the poem’s sensory appeal, while helping the reader to better understand the speaker’s frustration over repairing the wall again and again. The imagery also highlights the poem’s underlying themes of change, the natural world, and the futility of constructing barriers.
2. Function of Irony: The use of irony in the line “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall” creates shows how Frost employs it to demonstrate a contrast between the speaker’s belief that walls are necessary and the natural world’s working that walls must go down. This use of irony emphasizes tension between the need for boundaries and human desire for freedom, along with highlighting the speaker’s skepticism toward the very idea of building walls. This, in turn, adds depth and complexity to other themes such as tradition, isolation, and communication.
3. Function of Metaphor: The wall in the poem serves as a metaphor for the barriers people construct between their areas in “Mending Wall.” For example, the speaker compares himself and his neighbor to trees to emphasize their differences. The wall, on the other hand, serves a physical manifestation of their emotional and psychological divide. This metaphor also highlights the theme of human connection and the need to bridge the divide between people. This metaphorical representation of the wall adds depth to the poem which, in turn, helps to convey the speaker’s frustration against arbitrary boundaries that separate different people.
4. Function of Repetition: The repetitive phrases such as “Good fences make good neighbors” stresses upon the idea that boundaries are necessary for peaceful coexistence. However, the speaker himself is skeptical of this idea. The repetition adds to the music along with emphasizing oral traditions. It also serves as a literary device to highlight other themes such as tradition, conformity, and the tensions emerging between individuality and community. By repeating this phrase further, Frost attracts his readers to the paradoxical nature of human relationships and the complexities involving social norms of the community and expectations of individuals.

Themes in Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

1. The Power of Nature: The dominant idea of the poem is the idea that nature has a force that resists man-made boundaries lines “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall” and “That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it” show. In fact, here Frost questions the need for walls that separate people and emphasizes the power of nature. However, it has attendant themes as well.
2. Tradition vs. Change: The speaker of the poem questions the traditional practice of building and maintaining walls between people. He demonstrates his wonder, saying wall is necessary to make people truly “good neighbors.” This leads to conflict between tradition and change as highlighted when the speaker puts forward the idea of “elves” destroying the wall.
3. Human Relationships: The poem centers around relationships between people. Frost shows his concern about his neighbor and his wall which have impacted their relations. He feels reluctance when challenging this well-settled tradition but recognizes the significance of smooth communication and mutual understanding for healthy relationships to reinforces his idea that “Good fences make good friends.
4. The Nature of Work: The poet also explores the nature of work when he reflects on the work of building, repairing and maintaining the wall. He further presents the work of the hunters with their work of repairing the wall. Then he thinks about the physical labor involved in the task. Afterword, he acknowledges the value of hard work, yet questions whether the work of maintaining a wall is really worth it when it is going to crumble next year.

Literary Theories and Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

1. Formalism: Formalist literary theory uses formal elements of a literary work for critiquing a literary piece which include structure, language, and imagery. The critics and commentators use these elements to analyze poems and stories. Frost uses very simple and direct language to create a sense of intimacy between the speaker and the reader. The conversational tone further intensifies this intimacy. The poem demonstrates the use of short, unrhymed lines. These rhymes create a conversational tone, stressing upon the theme as well as the idea of boundaries. The use of natural imagery such as the frozen ground and boulders demonstrate down-to-earn reality and show that harshness of the natural world. Using these formal elements, Frost has woven highly powerful ideas into a piece of poetry that involves a highly sensitive issue represented by simple literary devices and structural elements.
2. Historical Criticism: Historical theory examines historical and cultural contexts of a literary work. When applied to the poem, “Mending Wall”, it means to see the United States when the poem became people. At that time, the United States was undergoing significant social and political transformations. That is why the poem seems a stark commentary on the changing social American landscape when people started questioning traditional values and norms. The poem also reflects the tensions between rural and urban life and people as Frost and his neighbor show different perspectives, beliefs and lifestyles. Examining the historical context of the poem show to gain a better understanding of different beliefs and perspectives.
3. Reader-Response Theory: Reader-response theory centers around the reader rather than th author when interpreting a literary work. When it comes to “Mending Wall,” Frost is clearly asking the readers to participate in the conversation of between the individual and th community. He raises the most important questions about limits, boundaries and their functions in a society. That is how it invites the reader to reflect on their experiences of confronting walls or limits. However, its open-ended conclusion leaves room for the readers to interpret walls and their importance in life. In fact, Frost goes on the personal level and contacts himself and his art with the reader and his situation. That is, then, up to the critics to involve the poet and the reader simultaneously and discreetly view how readers with deduce their meanings from this poetic argument.
4. Psychoanalytic Theory: Psychoanalytic theory examines psychological motivations of the author lying behind his works. When it comes to “Mending Wall,” Frost indicates to his obsession with the wall. Therefore, it seems a manifestation of his own psychological need for limits and privacy. The wall represents a defense mechanism of an individual to preserve his privacy and to keep unknown and unfamiliar out of the limits. The poet’s neighbor, on the other hand, represents the values of openness and connection with others. By analyzing the psychological issues of the poet and the speaker, the critics analyze the understanding of the poem and its message.
5. Feminist Theory: Feminist theory analyzes gender and power shown intertwined in literary works and society. When it comes to the poem, “Mending Wall” the fact that the narrator and his neighbor are both male demonstrates patriarchal power structures. The emphasis on physical labor and the idea of “good fences making good neighbors” reinforces the traditional gender roles of men, showing that they are not only laborers but also preservers of norms and traditions. However, the narrator’s desire to break down the wall and his inquiry of the need for a limit could lead to feminist perspective. Although feminism is not directly involved, the poem demonstrates a challenge to patriarchal power structures.

Essay Topics, Questions and Thesis Statements about Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

1. Topic: Isolation in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Question: How does Frost use the wall as a symbol of isolation and separation of people in the poem “Mending Wall”?

Thesis Statement: Robert Frost uses the wall as a metaphor for the emotional and physical limits people create to highlight the theme of isolation and separation.

2. Topic: Role of Traditions in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Question: How does the speaker’s attitude toward tradition change in the poem “Mending Wall.”

Thesis Statement: Through the speaker’s evolving attitude toward the wall and tradition, Robert Frost portrays the struggle between maintaining tradition and embracing change in “Mending Wall.”

3. Topic: Relationship in “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Question: How does the relationship between the speaker and his neighbor evolve throughout the poem?

Thesis Statement: Robert Frost uses the relationship between himself and his neighbor to explore the complexities of human connection and the tension between individual and community.

4. Topic: “Mending Wall” and Ambiguity

Question: How does the ambiguity of the speaker’s perspective contribute to the meaning of the poem?

Thesis Statement: “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost shows ambiguous point of view of the poet who challenges the reader’s assumptions and highlights the complexity of human perspective.

Short Question-Answer about Mending Wall” by Robert Frost”

1. What is the significance of the title “Mending Wall” and how does it relate to the themes of the poem?

The title refers to the human act of repairing the wall or setting limits on one’s privacy as well as property. This act of mending this barrier is a metaphor of a barrier in stopping the conflict arising between privacy of an individual and community’s encroachment. The wall represents a physical boundary between two people and their possessions. On psychological level, it shows the mental barrier intended to prevent people from forming unnecessary contacts. The poem also explores the themes of tradition and questioning, suggesting that while boundaries are necessary, they should not stop others from approaching you to form a healthy relationship.

2. What is the role of repetition in “Mending Wall” and how does it contribute to the poem’s meaning?

The use of the literary device of repetition in “Mending Wall” is not only deliberate but also intended. It is deliberate as it stresses upon the importance of the wall and intended as it highlights the act of repairing it. The repetition of “good fences make good neighbors”, however, reinforces this point that whoever believes in the importance of maintaining the wall also believes in forming good relations. It also highlights the speaker’s quizzical attitude toward the wall and the convention of walling itself. Repeating the phrase, Frost emphasizes the tension between tradition and its legitimacy to highlight the cyclical nature of human beliefs and behaviors.

3. How does “Mending Wall” reflect Robert Frost’s use of nature imagery in his poetry?

Robert Frost’s use of natural imagery in “Mending Wall” shows his love for rural landscape such as the mention of trees, rocks, and animals shows. It serves the purpose of making sense of place to connect the theme of limits and privacy to the natural world. The wall, for example, is made of rocks that are “loaves” and “balls.”  This shows that they natural part of the landscape. By connecting this theme to the natural world, he wants to show that human world and natural world coexists and that human behavior is also a natural part of it.

4. How does the relationship between the speaker and the neighbor reflect the tension between individualism and community in American culture?

Whereas the tension between the poet, who is also the speaker, and his neighbor reflects the broader problem of community versus individual in American culture, the neighbor embodies a tradition that persists, while the poet seeks to explore new avenues in relationship building. This creates a conflict within the poet, which reflects the drive for new relationship formation, where the rural landscape faces encroachment from new residents. This conflict between tradition and individual thinking persists until the end, with new beliefs blending with the old, illustrating that the American melting pot accepts new ideas despite traditional views.