It is rare that poetry is considered without considering Robert Frost. Robert Frost was a troubled individual who had a path that led to unexpected success. His poetry was a reflection of his life, which was consistent with his rural roots. Frost would be one of the most famous poets in English if popularity were a measure for poet’s eminence. Although Robert Frost’s view of society in his poem “Mending Wall” may be conflicted, we can see that he takes into account both his and his neighbor’s opinions. Either society is trying to separate itself or some parts are opening up to possibility of change. Frost suggests that hesitation might be due to fear. Frost uses metaphors, symbolism and imagery throughout “Mending Wall” to show how the narrator struggles with his beliefs and accepts the beliefs of his neighbor. His neighbor’s stubbornness, ignorance and inability to see the truth around him.
Frost’s poem, “Mending Wall”, begins with a line which has more meaning than its words. “Something there doesn’t love the wall” is repeated later. Frost uses this phrase throughout his poem. He continues the line “Good neighbors make good fences” and ends the poem by ending it with this. Frost was very calculated in repeating these lines. Frost made this move because it was important. These lines became ingrained in the mind of the audience through Frost’s plan. Frost was trying to let people see that he was trying to remain objective about how society should work. In truth, he wasn’t sure if society should function as a whole or separately within one community. Frost believed that we should live together. Frost believed that we should coexist harmoniously. This riddle is the reader’s puzzle, making us wonder if the wall is necessary in our lives and society. The narrator considers whether his view of the wall is right for him and whether Frost was justified in his opinion. He made the topic almost humorous by imagining trees as being able to move. “There is no wall.
He is all Pine and I am Apple Orchard. My apple trees won’t get across
He should eat the cones beneath his pines. This image shows Frost’s use of imagery, personification, and symbolism. Frost’s imagery was so simple that we could imagine an apple-tree moving over to the pine branch and eating his pine cones. This is how absurd Frost’s wall is to him. Although it isn’t something they need to survive as farmers the wall is symbolic of the stubbornness of his neighbor. Frost’s poetry about nature is a joy to read due to their skilled use of poetic devices, such as personifications and images. Personification can be used to bring life to descriptions and pictures of nature. Frost’s personifications can be described as a quick metaphor. Frost’s are almost always longer analogies. Both their crops, the apple and pine tree trees, are too far apart to cross over each other’s land. Frost suggests that their neighbor’s ignorance of this fact is what has forced them to do this tedious task. His neighbor could be so stubborn in his ways that he continues to build the wall, despite knowing all about their crops. Although he is aware of the absurdity involved with building a wall, the narrator doesn’t stop. The narrator’s uncertainty stems from his fear of the unknown. However, there is always a chance that good fences will make good neighbors. Frost’s “Mending Wall,” after some time, becomes more serious. Frost transforms from a lighthearted, laughing man walking, stealing trees into a serious man who is evaluating the man next to him. The man before the narrator is able to sense the importance by analysing the situation. “I see he there
Be sure to hold the stone by its top.
As a savage old-stone, he carries his weapons in each hand. He moves in dark as it seems.
The shade of trees and not of woods alone. This passage changes how the poem is sung. Frost’s imagery allows us to see how serious this old man is doing backbreaking work. It changes the perspective of the narrator. “Eventually, the narrator’s speculations about what might or might not love the wall turn into a description and questioning of the difficulty and motivations for the wall-mending task. His tone shifts between seriousness, whimsy, amusement, and cajolery. Frost’s poetry is known for its tension between formal meter and spoken English. This poem is reinterpreted by Frost’s tone change. The narrator’s thoughts on how the wall will affect his life can be seen. While he views it as a chore, he sees his neighbor and realizes the significance of the wall to him. This is the old man who believes in the wall. The “Mending Wall” wall is symbolic for both the characters and the readers. Robert Frost’s Mending Wall was viewed by many critics as a metaphor for the men who create barriers between them. The wall is for them a symbol of these barriers. They are able to reduce their fear of the unknown beyond their own home through the wall. The wall provides security from the dangers beyond their home and protects them from the fear of the unknown. Frost created the wall as a way to express how people desire to be independent from one another. They build this wall every year. Frost understood that walls, even though they don’t protect the physical world, can help people feel at ease. Robert Frost’s masterful use of imagery, personification, and symbolism shows how the world works as a whole. Works Cite
Chelliah S. “The Poetry Art and Vision Robert Frost with A Focus on His Pragmatic Perspective of the Relationship Between Man And Nature: a Brief Analysis.” Languages in India, vol. 17, no. 11, Nov. 2017, pp. 98-112. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=126488938&site=eds-live&scope=site.
McNair, Wesley. “Robert Frost’s Dramatic Speech.” Sewanee Review. Vol. 106, no. 1, Winter 1998. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=prf&AN=541482&site=prclive&scope=site.
Morrissey, L. J. “Mending Wall”: The Structure and Gossip. English Language notes, vol. 25, no. 3, Mar. 1988, p. 58. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=4971124&site=eds-live&scope=site.
