ANALYSIS #2: THE MENDING WALL In the poem, “The Mending Wall” Frost creates a lot of ambiguity in order to leave the poem open for interpretation. Frost’s description of every detail in this poem is very interesting, it leaves the reader to decide for themselves what deductions they are to be making of the poem. To begin with, Frost makes literal implications about what the two men are doing. For instance, they are physically putting the stones back, one by one.
Their commitment and constant drive shows how persistent these men seem about keeping the wall intact. On the other hand, there are inferences that something deeper is occurring. One possible meaning being a sharing experience between the two men. We can assume from the beginning that the wall has many forces that keeps it in shambles. For example, “that sends the frozen ground swell under it and spills the upper boulders in the sun.” Also, “I have come after them and made repair where they have left not one stone on a stone… .” The man and his neighbor don’t seem to have time for anything else, it seems as though they are constantly making repairs.
It is important to note that not only are these man completing a task, but they also are “building” a special bond. If this were not true, the neighbor would never state, “Good fences make good neighbors” As the man tells his story, we find that even though the two men may be conversing and interacting, there is some distance between them at all times. When the man says, “on a day we meet to walk the line and set the wall between us once again.” It seems to show that even though there is a bond, there is also somewhat of a riff between the two. As the poem continues, we see that what they are doing is somewhat of a game. The speaker even states, “Oh, just another kind of outdoor game.” The speaker goes on to say, “We keep the wall between us as we go.” Almost as if there is a competition between the two.
The Term Paper on “The Road Not Taken” and Other Poems by Robert Frost
“Robert Frost, born March 26, 1874” (Robert Frost), is considered by most to be “one of America is leading 20th century poets” (Frost 15). Some of his most famous work includes The Road Not Taken, Design, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. “Frost won an unprecedented number of literary, academic, and public honors” (http://encarta.msn.com) because he allows all readers from all different ...
“He is all pine and I am apple orchard” It seems to indicate that these two men are very different, but despite this difference they form a unique bond. Frost also uses an application of the stone itself. “Stay where you are until our backs are turned.” By personifying the stone, it shows that the speaker may be so bored that he is willing to speak with inanimate objects. Also, this shows that his partner may not be all that talkative as was expected. After all, the neighbor only says one thing, “Good fences make good neighbors.” : However there is also a separation or segregation. In addition to the separation of the two men, Frost contrasts his “wall” of separation with the idea of segregation in our society.
He uses this “wall” to display a separation between people in the current social climate. Lastly, there is the recurring idea that the wall should not be there. “We do not need the wall” This sentence implies that the wall separating us as people, needs to come down. It is virtually impossible for us to build relationships while we are presented with a constant separation.
