Mending Wall
The year was 1914; this was a time in American history when we as a nation were just beginning to emerge onto the world stage. The world had yet to endure the First World War and all that followed it within the 20th century. This was at a time when life seemed to move at a slower pace and a large number of families still lived in the country. This is the place you must imagine in order to understand where Robert Frost is coming from when you read his poem entitled Mending Wall. Eighty-six years has passed since this poem was first published, but its message is timeless because it makes the reader challenge his or her own beliefs in maintaining and breaking down social boundaries. In this essay, I plan to look at the following questions. What are the principal themes of Robert Frost's Mending Wall? How does the poem use symbolism to broaden the problems of repairing boundaries? Does the 1st person agree or disagree that good fences make good neighbors? To what extent is the poem ironic and how does irony modify its moral messages?
I think that the principal themes of the poems are a combination of different ideas. The ideas of setting boundaries between people are based on prejudice. This poem makes you face the evil of prejudice and ask the question, why do we build walls (real and unreal) around ourselves? He not only asked this important question, but he also gave the answer within the poem. In this poem you find the two men coming together each year to rebuild the wall. This is a way of finding common ground between the two men that could help to build a lasting friendship between the two neighbors.
In this poem, Robert Frost used symbolism in order to express problems of repairing the boundary wall of the universal problem of maintaining social boundaries. In the poem Frost wrote
To each the boulders that have fallen to each
And some are loaves and some are nearly balls.
We have to use a spell to make them balance (16-18)
"Boulders" could represent differences between not only the two neighbors but also differences between all mankind. The word "loaves" and "balls" can represent big and small problems or differences between people. Frost was trying to challenge the reader to ask whether or not we need to build walls around ourselves in order to protect our own interests.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the themes of robert frost's poem entitled mending wall. the poem uses symbolism to broaden the problems of repairing social boundaries.
- Analyzes how the themes of the poems are a combination of different ideas. setting boundaries between people is based on prejudice.
- Analyzes how frost used symbolism to express problems of repairing the boundary wall of the universal problem of maintaining social boundaries.
- Analyzes how the first person in the poem is constantly wrestling with the question, do good fences make good neighbors, and i don't think that he ever agrees with his neighbor beyond the hill.
- Analyzes how frost began to tackle this issue by asking the question, "what is it that does not love a wall?" and then giving examples that continued to support his belief that good fences do not make good neighbors.
- Analyzes how the 1st person is willing to help his neighbor rebuild the wall that divides them.
- Analyzes how the poem's three passages prove that the 1st person doesn't expect that "good fences make good neighbors."
- Analyzes how frost uses irony to hide his moral message within the poem, forcing the readers to search it out for themselves and draw their own conclusion to the hidden message of social boundaries.
- Analyzes how frost uses "wall between us" twice within these three lines of poetry to prove that the two men are not friends but simply neighbors who live side by side.
- Analyzes how the two men worked hard to rebuild the wall between them each spring knowing that it would only fall down again. the fence represents how social prejudices are started at a young age in the home.
- Explains that they have tried to answer the four questions, which help to give insight on robert frost and his poem mending wall.
Related
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- Analysis of Robert Forst´s Mending Wallanalytical essayRobert Frost deliberated a intention and was determined to get it across any way that he could. He verbalized his feelings through Walls and Blockages, Descriptive words, and Seasons and Nature. The aspiration of walls in this piece is to block neighbors and assemble a better relationship. Descriptive words are used to portray a improved visual of what is designed to see. Robert Frost speaks of seasons as if it were a human.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how robert frost verbalized his intentions through walls and blockages, descriptive words, and seasons
- Analyzes the purpose of the poem, which is the desire by one neighbor to have a better relationship with the other neighbor.
- Analyzes how the speaker in the poem thought the wall was foolish and not needed. he didn't understand if he was offending the neighbor.
- Analyzes how the speaker saw everything between the two houses as a big blockage that he didn't appreciate. the wall separated the privacy of the neighbors and kept their properties separate.
- Analyzes how robert frost used descriptive words to give a better understanding to the point that he expected to get across.
- Analyzes how robert frost used a word choice that shaped the readers mind into the outdoor scenery where the dog is on one side of the fence barking.
- Analyzes how frost uses spring to express new beginnings and the start of something new in his poem, mending wall.
- Analyzes how the speaker uses the word spring because it is the first official and whole season of the year. the neighbor could be expressing how they think they should break the wall down and start over.
- Analyzes how the speaker referred to the neighbor as a pine cone, because no matter how bad he tries, it won't break into fragments.
- Analyzes the last word or phrase that robert frost expressed within the poem was cows. the neighbor thinks it is ridiculous to have the wall up, it's blocking the obligation of a friendship.
573 wordsRead More - Poem Analysis: Mend Walls by Robert Frostanalytical essayMy first reading of the poem has left me with many unanswered questions. The beginning lines were very confusing. I couldn’t quite tell if what Frost was saying was meant to be literal or not. Much of the first half is unclear to me. But by the second half I think I see more of the story. I do like the language Frost uses to describe the seasons and how they lead to the main character asking for the wall to be taken down. At this point I think that the story is about two men owning two plots of land and one wants to keep a wall up dividing them and closing them off from each other while the other wants to open the gap. I still don’t see much of the true meaning behind the story. But at the end of the story the main character says the neighbor repeats that his father said by saying, “good fences make good neighbors”. The second reading of the poem is slightly easier. I think I am beginning to understand some the metaphors that Frost is using. In line ten Frost s...
In this essay, the author
- Describes how they read robert frost's poem "mending wall" over a week-and-a-half. they thought it was literal in the sense of an actual wall.
- Analyzes how frost uses metaphors to describe the seasons and how they lead to the main character asking for the wall to be taken down.
- Analyzes how frost is writing about a wall of conflict between two neighbors. the narrator wants the wall gone, but can't convince his neighbor to make peace.
- Analyzes how the four lines, "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.
- Analyzes how the poem "mending wall" is more metaphorical than others may think. the poem starts out describing the wall and how it is deteriorating through time.
- Explains how they analyze the process they use as a reader of poetry.
1066 wordsRead More - Frost: as Cold as He Sounds?analytical essay...fied as open-minded and the neighbor could be classified as close-minded. The wall in this poem symbolizes barriers, and unfortunately barriers separate people. A part of the theme is that the unnecessary barriers in life need to be broken down to bring everyone back together. In “Mending Wall,” one could say that nature does not like a wall, as well as, hunters do not like a wall. This poem is told in a first person narrator.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how frost uses symbolism to portray his ideas and views on the world to his reader. frost's poems have such a deep meaning that one cannot get all of the information out of them by just reading them once.
- Analyzes how frost uses symbolism in his poem "the road not taken." the theme of the poem is the importance of choices in life.
- Analyzes how frost's poem "birches" is misinterpreted because it is about the allure of escaping from the world that we know to one’s personal outlet.
- Analyzes how frost uses the theme of reason verses superstition and narrator versus neighbor in "mending wall."
- Analyzes how "mending wall" contains literary elements such as similes, personification, characterization, and symbolism. the wall symbolizes barriers and unfortunately barriers separate people.
- Analyzes how frost's poems come back to the same end point, nature. he chose the relationship between humanity and nature to be his dominant theme.
714 wordsRead More - Working Together in Robert Frost's Mending Wallanalytical essayThe "Mending Wall" is the opening poem in Robert Frost's second book entitled, North of Boston. The poem portrays the casual part of life as seen by two farmers mending their wall. A great number of people might look at "Mending Wall" and see a simple poem about a simple aspect of life. If this is truly the case then why are so many drawn to the poem and what is found when more than a superficial look is spent on Robert Frost's work? The "Mending Wall" is an insightful look at social interactions as seen in the comparison of the repeated phrases and the traditional attitudes of the two farmers.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how roosters welcome the sun to a new day in frost's "mending wall." millions are inserting their prayers into the walls of japanese temples, while an inmate in one of 100 prisons across the us looks past his prayers toward the prayers he did not keep.
- Analyzes how the "mending wall" is an insightful look at social interactions as seen in the comparison of repeated phrases and the traditional attitudes of the two farmers.
- Analyzes how the speaker is intelligent enough to understand the mechanics of a wall falling apart during the winter.
- Analyzes how the farmer merely states his father's saying, "good fences make good neighbors." family tradition and work ethic seem to be his motivation.
- Analyzes how frost allows our imagination to grow by allowing our thoughts to expand upon the text.
- Analyzes how frost points out that despite differences, people can work together. restrictions are needed in society and privacy is sought in the safety of our walled homes.
- Describes the works of elaine barry, robert frost, judith a. stanford, philip gerber, kenneth eble, and frank lantricchia.
- Cites zverev, a., "a lover's quarrel with the world: robert frost." 20th century american literature: a soviet view.
867 wordsRead More - Robert Frost Poem Analysisanalytical essayRobert Frost had a fascination towards loneliness and isolation and thus expressed these ideas in his poems through metaphors. The majority of the characters in Frost’s poems are isolated in one way or another. In some poems, such as “Acquainted with the Night” and “Mending Wall,” the speakers are lonely and isolated from their societies. On other occasions, Frost suggests that isolation can be avoided by interaction with other members of society, for example in “The Tuft of Flowers,” where the poem changes from a speaker all alone, to realizing that people are all connected in some way or another. In Robert Frost’s poems “Acquainted with the Night,” “Mending Wall,” and “The Tuft of Flowers,” the themes insinuate the idea of loneliness and isolation.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the poem emphasizes the isolation and loneliness of the speaker, since he has no one to talk to in the city.
- Analyzes how isolation is a major theme in "mending wall." the neighbor views walls as crucial objects in maintaining the relationship of amicable neighbors.
- Analyzes the theme of isolation and rejection the speaker experiences throughout the poem.
- Analyzes how solitude is used in a different light in "the tuft of flowers." the speaker's perspective towards his work changes as the poem progresses.
- Analyzes how isolation takes over in lines five to ten. the dash before the word "alone" in line 8 accentuates the idea that man is ultimately alone.
- Analyzes how the concept of loneliness and isolation is used to intensify the poem and help communicate the theme.
- Analyzes how frost used metaphors to convey loneliness and isolation in his poems, such as "acquainted with the night" and "mending wall."
1408 wordsRead More - Analysis of Frost's Poem, Mending Wallanalytical essay“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost displays the seasonal routine of two neighbors who are constantly mending a wall which separates their properties. Every spring the two neighbors meet at the wall to repair any damaged or ill placed stone which may have occurred during the long winter months. Frost expresses the wall’s misshapen condition due to specific conditions like when,
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how people keep an emotional distance between one another to prevent others from getting too close to them. frost's poem "mending wall" shows the reader an example of two different kinds of people.
- Analyzes how frost's "mending wall" displays the seasonal routine of two neighbors who are constantly mending a wall which separates their properties.
- Analyzes how frost's use of detailed description helps provide the reader with a better visual image of the poem.
- Analyzes how the poem shows that even though the two men are conversing and working together, there is always some distance between them at all times.
- Analyzes how frost uses the poem to reveal the true nature of the wall, showing the clear differences between the two men.
- Analyzes how the neighbor's only quote is that "good fences make good neighbors." the neighbor rambles on about why the wall is unnecessary, while the other just rebuilds it.
- Analyzes how the poem begins to show why the man feels the need to keep the wall up. the quote "good fences make good neighbors" was originally his father's saying.
- Analyzes how the wall is more of a line to separate the difference between the two types of people portrayed in the poem. although not both sides feel and realize that they are different in many ways, it clearly shows that both men do not share the same feelings
1010 wordsRead More - Robert Frost's Mending Wallanalytical essayTraditions have always had a substantial effect on the lives of human beings, and always will. Robert Frost uses many unique poetic devices in his poem “Mending Wall,” as well as many shifts in the speaker’s tone to develop his thoughts on traditions. The three predominant tones used are those of questioning, irony and humor.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how robert frost uses unique poetic devices and shifts in the speaker's tone to develop his thoughts on traditions.
- Analyzes how frost develops irony through his shifts in tone within the "mending wall." frost realizes that the wall separates the neighbors, but also unites them at mending time.
- Analyzes how humor is used in many situations in the poem, not only to tell the truth, but also to express that the speaker believes the wall is pointless.
- Analyzes how frost's poem brilliantly depicts two neighbors, one who questions and finds flaws with the tradition of mending, and another who believes strongly in it and is appreciative of the wall’s presence.
523 wordsRead More - Summary Of Robert Frost's Mending Wallanalytical essayThe wall is a simple stone structure, but the narrator feels as if it creates two separate worlds between the men. It’s unnatural, something that even nature doesn’t love, as it “ sends the frozen-ground-swell under it / And spills the upper boulders in the sun” (ll 2-3): that is to say, when the ground freezes in cold weather, the stone divider begins to fall apart, as if nature never wanted it there to begin with. The neighbor, on the other hand, adores the wall, and repeatedly tells the narrator, “good fences make good neighbors” (l 27). It’s a statement the narrator has learned to despise. Why must they put any border between one another? The only purpose it serves is to make the narrator feel more isolated from his neighbor, who is more than happy to keep others out. No matter how much the narrator pleads to be rid of the barrier between them, the neighbor simply claims, “good fences make good
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how reclusiveness is the theme of many literary works and essays.
- Analyzes how frost's poem "mending wall" narrates the struggle of a man who wants nothing more than to bring down the physical wall that stands between his neighbor and himself.
- Analyzes how john m. darley and bibb latané describe how people will unconsciously isolate themselves in a crisis.
- Analyzes how kitty genovese's murder is a clear example of the bystander effect in action.
- Explains that isolation is an unconscious reaction to isolate oneself during a dire situation. in large groups, everyone assumes someone else will help.
- Analyzes how barbara kingsolver's "e verybody’s somebody s baby" is a startling change from the u.s. where she declares child-raising as an individual job.
- Analyzes how kingsolver uses apathy towards children to show how isolated citizens of the united states can be.
- Analyzes how spain treats children as meringues and eclairs of their culture. it's a normal practice to let families keep to themselves, to not get involved with something that doesn't directly involve your kin.
- Explains that isolation is regarded as a horrible punishment, not just for the most misbehaved prisoners, but for any average person.
1410 wordsRead More - The Life of August Wilsonanalytical essayfamilies, or ethnicities. Robert Frost wrote of fences in his poem ―Mending Wall‖ showing how
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how wilson uses the character of troy, his family, and his friends in fences to pour out his life.
- Explains that august wilson was born in a ghetto area of pittsburg, pennsylvania to his white father.
- Narrates how wilson's mother worked as a mother, and his five siblings when he was young.
- Explains that he did not allow this impediment to deter him. he was determined to attain a proper degree.
- Explains that fences. drama for students. ed. david m. galens, vol. 3. detroit: gale, 1998.
- Analyzes how the writer wrote the play fences about his life and the heartbreaking reality of racism in his own life. he had a hard childhood and career due to prejudice.
- Analyzes how wilson's most prominent drama, fences, deals with the issues of civil rights he struggled with in his life. the 'fences' represent blockages in the relationships of the characters' family ties and their racial issues
- Analyzes how wilson wrote fences about fences or walls that keep the family together and keep away those they wanted out. the fence of racism in wilson's life led him to write about it.
- Analyzes how wilson encountered racism early on in his life and this began to influence his writing. troy's hardness defines his choices with his son cory.
- Analyzes how wilson's reluctance to give up is reflected in fences, which encourages african americans to look for a better prospect in life.
- Explains that troy and family are characters brought about by 's mind, created by his imagination and experience. they are brought alive by actors who try to live up to their roles.
- Analyzes how wilson's life early on and throughout his career was heavily affected by racism, but it was that racism and hardship which helped him.
1190 wordsRead More - The Divergent Mending Wall in the Woodsanalytical essayThe character in the poem has chosen to take the road less traveled. He wishes to interact with nature and the setting that is around him because most of the fun is going to where you are going, not being there. This character compares with the main character in Mending Wall with his concern for nature and his willingness to be out among it.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that robert frost is one of the four great american poets. his works carry much meaning by using simple illustrations. an analysis of mending wall and the road not taken will be presented.
- Explains that robert frost was born in california, where he spent the first ten years of his life. after his father died in 1885, the surviving family moved to new england.
- Analyzes frost's poem the road not taken, which is a short four-stanza poem. the figurative sense of the road in the poem has to do with the paths people take in their lives.
- Analyzes how frost's poem, mending wall, is based on the second law of thermodynamics, which states that relationships require both parties to participate in order to be successful.
- Concludes that both of these poems are definitevly frost poems because they demonstrate his love of nature and concern with symbolism.
1051 wordsRead More