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In his poem 'Mending Wall', Robert Frost presents to us the ideas of
barriers between people, communication, friendship and the sense of
security people gain from barriers. His messages are conveyed using
poetic techniques such as imagery, structure and humour, revealing a
complex side of the poem as well as achieving an overall light-hearted
effect. Robert Frost has cleverly intertwined both a literal and
metaphoric meaning into the poem, using the mending of a tangible wall
as a symbolic representation of the barriers that separate the
neighbours in their friendship.
The theme of the poem is about two neighbours who disagree over the
need of a wall to separate their properties. Not only does the wall act
as a divider in separating estates, it also acts as a barrier in the
neighbours' friendship, separating them. For the neighbour with the
pine trees, the wall is of great significance, as it provides a sense
of security and privacy. He believes that although two people can still
be friendly neighbours, some form of barrier is needed to separate them
and 'wall in' the personal space and privacy of the individual. This is
shown through his repeated saying, 'good fences make good neighbours'
(line 27). The neighbour's property is a representation of his privacy
and the wall acts as a barrier against intrusion.
The poem itself is a technique Robert Frost uses to convey his
ideas. Behind the literal representation of building walls, there is a
deeper metaphoric meaning, which reflects people's attitudes towards
others. It reflects the social barriers people build, to provide a
sense of personal security and comfort, in the belief that barriers are
a source of protection which will make people less vulnerable to their
fears. Robert Frost's ideas are communicated strongly through the
perspective of the narrator in the poem, the 'I' voice, who questions
the need for barriers. The use of conversation and the thoughts of the
narrator reflect the poet's own thoughts. In line thirty to line
thirty-five, the narrator questions the purpose of a wall. He has an
open disposition and does not understand the need to 'wall in' or 'wall
out' anything or anyone.
One of the poetic techniques that Robert Frost uses in 'Mending
Wall' to convey his ideas, is imagery. In the first eleven lines of the
poem, it is used to describe the degradation of the wall, creating a
visual image for the reader. The sentence structure of the first line
of the poem places emphasis on 'something'. This, compound with the use
of personification, makes 'something' appear alive and even human-like.
Animate qualities have been given to 'something' through the use of the
words 'love', 'sends', 'spills' and 'makes gaps' (lines 1-4),
illustrating a vivid impression of the degradation of the wall. Nature,
in the form of cold weather, frost and the activities of small
creatures, gradually destroys the wall. The narrator seems to believe
that walls are unnatural and suggests that nature dislikes walls. This
is portrayed through the phrase 'sends the frozen ground swell under
it' (line 2). The poem describes nature making holes in the wall large
enough that 'even two can pass abreast'. Literally, this refers to the
size of the holes. However, it can also be interpreted that nature
wishes the men to 'walk together', side by side, living in harmony
where there is no barrier in their friendship that separates them.
Figurative expressions are used in 'Mending Wall' to describe the
relationship between the neighbours. Many phrases contain both a
literal and metaphoric meaning. For example, the phrases 'to walk the
line' and 'set the wall between us' (lines 13,14) refers to the
building of a tangible wall that marks the boundary of the neighbours'
properties. These phrases are also figurative and represent the setting
of a barrier in the neighbours' friendship. When they meet to repair
the wall, it could be metaphorically interpreted as repairing their
friendship and resolving disputes. 'To each the boulders have fallen to
each' (line 16) shows that faults lie on the behalf of both neighbours.
The metaphor in line seventeen compares their disputes to loaves and
balls - some are small and some are large. Figurative language has been
used to convey the meaning and significance of building the wall.
An overall light-hearted tone has been achieved throughout the poem.
One of the main techniques used to achieve this is the inclusion of
conversation. 'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!' (line
19) and the metaphor 'spring is mischief in me' (line 28) for example,
shows the neighbours having fun in mending the wall together, creating
a cheerful, light-hearted atmosphere. The comparison of the repairing
of the fence to an outdoor game also contributes to this
light-heartedness. Although the narrator does not want the wall,
ironically, the mending of the wall brings the neighbours together and
literally builds their friendship. In repairing the fence, the
neighbours are spending time together, building their friendship and
improving the communication between them. Humour has also been used as
a technique to achieve a light-hearted atmosphere. Because the fence is
important to the neighbour, he treats the matter of repairing it
seriously. Imagery is used to describe the neighbour's attitude,
illustrating a rather grim, yet comical representation of him shifting
the stones and repairing the fence. The narrator sees the stubbornness
in his neighbour, and uses the simile 'like an old-stone savage' to
compare the him to a stone-age man who 'moves in darkness' (lines 40,
41), that is, set in his ways, and who is unlikely to change his views.
The structure of the 'Mending Wall' is a long one-stanza poem. It is
written in blank verse and contains a narrative-like style. Repetition
is used as a technique to emphasize the main ideas. The line 'something
there is that doesn't love a wall' has been repeated in line
thirty-five with a new meaning. It refers to the attitudes of the
narrator towards the wall - the narrator does not 'love the wall' and
wants it down - whereas the 'something' mentioned in the first line of
the poem refers to nature. Another example of repetition is the
statement 'good fences make good neighbours'. This reflects back to and
emphasizes the idea and opinion society adopts: Although people can be
good friends, there will always be a barrier standing between them,
acting as a boundary that separates their social relations from their
personal privacy, 'walling in' what they do not wish to share with
others.
In 'Mending Wall', Robert Frost communicates his opinion regarding
the ideas of barriers between people, communication, friendship and the
sense of security people gain from barriers, through the perspective of
the narrator of the poem. Poetic techniques such as imagery, figurative
language, irony, and the use of the building of a wall as a symbolic
representation of barriers have been utilised to convey these messages
through a light-hearted tone, and simultaneously to portray a serious
side of the poem.
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