"The Mending Wall" by Robert Frost dramatizes the presence of a wall between two neighbors. This wall is a barrier between their lands and blocks them from each other, even though they are friends. The speaker in this poem is wondering what the need for such a wall is. He does not have animals, but instead trees that will never hurt the trees in his neighbor's yard. Nothing action packed happens in this poem, which makes for an interesting plot. This is most likely done on purpose to show how annoyed the speaker is of such a little problem. This also shows that the problem is nothing new to fight about because it has been happening for years, so by now it is an old topic. The speaker notes that nature does not like this wall either and showers it with rocks, creating gaps in it and ruining it. The only action is verbal as the neighbors discuss their view on the wall. For this part of the poem, they are meeting for their spring fixing of the wall and standing right by this topic of discussion. They continue to share their thoughts about keeping the wall for a good neighbor or taking it down to crush the barrier between them, but it remains in its same place.
This is a free verse poem that is told a lot like a story. The speaker spills out his thoughts as they come to his mind, but the poem is organized to an extent to possibly show how often this argument occurs and how used to telling the story he is. The poem is written in an iambic foot, although the lines vary in amounts of feet. When reading this poem, I noticed the extreme differences of the words "wall" and "fence" as they are used in this poem. The neighbor that dislikes the barrier calls it a wall, implying that it cuts off all ties between the two houses. He wants to get rid of the wall because it a big deal. The other neighbor calls it a fence. He does not obviously think that it is doing too much to their friendship because it is merely a decorative boundary to separate their yards. He does not think it is a big deal so he wants to leave it up. When contemplating the title, the word "mending" has different connotations. It is used as a means to fix and mend the wall every spring when it got destroyed once more and is also used on a deeper level to show that fighting to take the wall down could mend their friendship that the one neighbor has yet to realize is gone.
Grace, I also noticed the constant shift between the words "wall" and "fence." I found it a bit unnerving to be honest, because it kept messing up my mental picture of the barrier. But I think that your reasoning makes a lot of sense. The speaker of the poem is clearly bothered by the barrier, and feels as if it is cutting off his ties with his neighbor. His neighbor, in contrast, simply disregards the speaker's worries, claiming, "good fences make good neighbors." That was a really good thing to point out
Grace, I also believe the connotations for "mending" in the title are very important. To me, "mending" an object implies that it is easy to fix, and will be fixed with love. I think that this has great significance to the situation. By removing the barrier, the two neighbors could mend their friendship and grow close to one another. It would not be hard to simply let nature remove the blockade from between them. "Mending Wall" is also a play on words. When someone "mends their fence" with someone else, the saying refers to fixing a friendship, just as the poet wants to do in this piece.
Grace, I like how you pointed out how the different characters in this poem use wall and fence. When I read this poem, I didn't even notice the constant shift between these two words. Although I agree with you, I think this shift is very important and emphasizes what each of the neighbors thinks about the barrier. A wall implying more rigidness and permanent separation. Meanwhile, a fence implies more of flexible barrier that can be crossed at any time.
This poem dramatizes the conflict between unity and separation. The poem depicts a speaker who is talking about a wall that separates his neighbors property from his own. The speaker is a man whom I imagine to be middle-aged. He is describing the wall and wondering why he and his neighbor continue to make repairs on it when there seems to be no reason for its existence. The speaker seems very observant of the situation rather than actively invested in it. It doesn't seem that the man and his neighbor are very close, but they're not exactly strangers either. Each year, they mend their sides of the wall, but the speaker wonders why he bothers keeping up the wall, for there are no cows to keep in, only trees of "apple" and "pine." The man's neighbor, however, simply concludes: "good fences make good neighbors." This causes the speaker to wonder about his neighbor's insistence to keep the wall intact. Upon further study, however, the reader comes to understand that perhaps this poem is about more than just a wall. This poem follows the structure of a free verse poem, but it also uses enjabment at some points, most likely to keep with the meter and rhythm of the poem. The poem does not depict any rhymes, but I did notice that each of the ending words have a maximum of only two syllables. This creates a unique effect of having each line end somewhat abruptly with a single syllable or with two quick syllables. This abrupt halt causes the reader to require a moment to ponder the line before continuing onward. The poem does not flow simply, and I think that is significant.This could represent the constant separation between the lines in the poem, which presents a contrast to the poem's theme of unity. The words that the speaker utilizes in this piece are very descriptive. I think he uses these words to make the experience more vivid, and to paint a picture in the mind of the reader. The speaker describes the gaps in the wall that are inevitably discovered each spring. This also refers to the sense of separation that the speaker is talking about. After breaking down the different aspects of the poem, it becomes clear that it is about much more than a friendly wall between neighbors.
Mary, I also noticed the abruptness of this poem. However when I read it out loud, it seemed to flow very naturally. The way it read reminded me of the changing of the seasons. It was slow and methodical, but with a certain beauty. I believe this form contributed to the situation depicted in the poem. The vivid language also helped contribute to the realism of the piece. I agree that the speaker does not seem to be taking any real action in order to change his situation. In fact, he says that he lets neighbor know when the wall needs repaired. This line makes me believe that he may be resigned to his situation, and is simply lamenting how things could have been.
Mary, I will admit that I did not really like this poem at all. I liked the meaning behind it, but it was awkward for me to read at first. It was very choppy so I ended up focusing on that instead of the meaning behind the poem. Even through it was so straight forward, I struggled with this and over analyzed.
This poem dramatizes the conflict between tradition and innovation. As the speaker describes his work in the spring, he is torn between the tradition of repairing his wall and alternatively tearing it down. His neighbor, to whom the wall also belongs, maintains that the wall needs to be mended every spring. He is bound by "his father's saying" and so cannot change. The speaker does not see the point of this annual mending. The two men own trees, so the fence is not a barrier between their livelihoods. Instead, he sees the fence as a barrier between the men themselves. The speaker views his neighbor as stuck in the past and incapable of change, describing him as "an old-stone savage." This is a free verse poem without much rhyme or meter. However, the poem does have a natural steady rhythm to it when it is read aloud. The poet uses enjabment for the entire piece so that it seems to tell a story. This story focuses more on describing the situation created by the barrier than what the two men actually do in order to repair it. The speaker uses common but descriptive language so that the reader can readily picture the scene in their mind. He describes the stones as "loaves" or "nearly balls" and relates the scene to the reader even more by stating that sometimes they must tell the rocks to stay in their place. One important aspect of the poem is the humor the poet included. The poet tells his neighbor that his "apple trees will never get across/ And eat the cones under his pines." This use of humor subtly forces the reader to view the wall as absurd and useless. Another instance of humor comes after the poet indicates that something wants the wall to be taken down. He ponders a moment, and says that he could tell his neighbor it was elves. He continues his thought with the phrase "But it's not elves exactly," suggesting that there is something elvish about the situation, but that there is also something more at work. This phrase helps lighten the tone and mood of the poem. The poet could have been very direct when speaking to his neighbor, but instead he was courteous and friendly about the situation.
I agree that the poem represents a dispute between tradition and innovation. Tradition is shown because the neighbor would rather stick to the safety of the known wall than tear it down and face unknown consequences of not having a barrier between the two. Although the speaker's neighbor cannot seem to come up with a reason not to other than the phrase about good fences making good neighbors, he does not want to face the unknown.
This poem by Frost shows the conflict between individuals on the concept of separation. He explains that even though the two men on either side of the wall are friends, they still keep themselves separated from each other. This symbolizes the fact that human brings keep themselves distanced from each other even though they call themselves "friends". Throughout the poem, the poet continually expresses his disdain about how trivial the matter of the wall is. He realizes that the matter does not truly matter when he is on the outside looking in. The neighbors even discuss the fact of keeping the wall in place, but in the end of the poem, it still stands. This shows that the matter of the wall is a very old matter between the neighbors, but yet they still consensually agree to keep the wall up. By doing this, Frost shows the everlasting nature of human beings to distance themselves from each other.
The fact that this poem is written in free verse allows for the subject matter of the poem to be shown more clearly. The poem is told in a story like fashion. Enjambment is used throughout the poem to keep the rhythm flowing. However, there is a choppiness in between different lines of the poem. This is significant because it is awkward just like the wall creates an awkwardness between the neighbors. The title of the poem could be symbolic of the yearly mending that the neighbors do to fix the wall. However, the title could also note to the fact that while the neighbors' relationship could be mended by tearing down the wall, it never will be.
Did the neighbors both agree to keep the wall up? I feel as if even though they kept it up for the time being, they were not totally on the same side. The one neighbor wanted the fence to stay up but the other wanted to take the wall down. I imagine them continuing the discussion because it is not yet settled. Only one neighbor wants to distance himself, but I do not agree that it is mutual.
I like how you pointed out how this poem symbolizes humans naturally wanting to separated. Back in the day, groups of people gathered together and drew lines on a map, in effect, drawing out the national borders for the nations of the world. The USA and Canada are very close, yet, we still maintain our individuality by keeping a border. I do not agree with you when you state that the wall somehow makes complicates their relationship. I think it just kind of something that they do every year, it's like a neighborly tradition. So I guess it's true that in both poetry and politics, good fences make good neighbors.
The poem Mending Wall by Robert Frost tells the tale of two neighbors who keep their properties separated by a wall. The speaker of the poem cannot conjure up a reason as to why they keep the wall separating their properties and why they keep repairing the wall to separate the two. The neighbor tells the speaker that "good fences make good neighbors." The speaker remains skeptical as to the logic behind the wall and pushes the neighbor to reconsider his logic. The poem ends by the neighbor reiterating his previous statement about fences and neighbors. The wall can be seen as a symbol for tradition. The neighbor keep the idea of the wall because his dad told him the idea of the fence. The speaker wants to break away from this tradition, but the neighbor instead wants to conform. The poem does not rhyme but it has rhythm and meter. The majority of the poem is written in iambic pentameter but sometimes it breaks off from the ten syllable pattern. This poem is relevant in today's world because there are many discrepancies with today's modern world's ideas with those of other generations. One example can be the new styles of dressing. Crop tops are seen as trendy and acceptable by younger generations but many elderly people from previous generations see crop tops as disgusting because they were taught to be more conservative with the way they dress.
This poem dramatizes the conflict between tradition and solidarity. The speaker in this poem does not really understand why every year, he and his neighbor repair a wall that separates their property. The neighbor maintains that good walls make good neighbors, and for that reason alone, they should maintain the wall. The neighbors do not appear to be that close, yet they are not complete strangers to one another. This should be expected, since they appear to be farmers and there is lots of land between farmers. The speaker though, only sees the wall as a hinderance to developing some sort of real friendship. The other neighbor insists that the tradition that has been developed be kept. This poem is extremely odd in the fact that it has no identifiable rhythm or meter. It appears that it is written in free verse. Why is such a poem written in free verse? I believe Frost wrote it in free verse so that it would possess a story-telling type atmosphere. The poem does not possess a happy message or a sad message. In fact, it seems rather neutral in tone. The poem ends with the rather vague statement that "Good fences make good neighbors." But this does not seem to make much sense at all. How can building walls make better neighbors? I believe the saying is to build bridges, not walls. This line may suggest that as long as their property is clearly divided, there will be no squabbles over property. So the fence kind of takes the ambiguity of where the property line out of the equation.
I agree that this poem has a neutral tone. I think that it is written in free verse because he is just telling the story as it is. He does not want to make it pretty because it isn't, the same reason he does not make it completely dramatic and ugly. Also, that statement is different. It is a paradox because putting something between people should separate them, not bring them closer together.
I also believe that the free verse allows for the story of the poem to be told. If the poem was written with a specific rhythm and meter I do not think that the message would come through as clear. There are definitely certain situations in which free verse is best to tell a story through a poem, and this is one of them.
I disagree that the poem does not have a meter. The majorIt of the lines have a ten syllable pattern but some lines break off from this and have eleven syllables. The shift from ten syllables to eleven make the reader pay more attention to those lines since the repetition was just broken.
It does kind of seem like the speaker really wants to develop a friendship with his neighbor on the other side of the fence, but his neighbor is clearly not interested. It makes me wonder if there is more to the story. Is there something that the speaker is longing for in their friendship? Or perhaps the neighbor has something to hide from the speaker. I think all of these things are can only be inferred by the reader, but it makes me a bit let down that we don't know what the author is suggesting in this poem.
"The Mending Wall" by Robert Frost dramatizes the presence of a wall between two neighbors. This wall is a barrier between their lands and blocks them from each other, even though they are friends. The speaker in this poem is wondering what the need for such a wall is. He does not have animals, but instead trees that will never hurt the trees in his neighbor's yard. Nothing action packed happens in this poem, which makes for an interesting plot. This is most likely done on purpose to show how annoyed the speaker is of such a little problem. This also shows that the problem is nothing new to fight about because it has been happening for years, so by now it is an old topic. The speaker notes that nature does not like this wall either and showers it with rocks, creating gaps in it and ruining it. The only action is verbal as the neighbors discuss their view on the wall. For this part of the poem, they are meeting for their spring fixing of the wall and standing right by this topic of discussion. They continue to share their thoughts about keeping the wall for a good neighbor or taking it down to crush the barrier between them, but it remains in its same place.
ReplyDeleteThis is a free verse poem that is told a lot like a story. The speaker spills out his thoughts as they come to his mind, but the poem is organized to an extent to possibly show how often this argument occurs and how used to telling the story he is. The poem is written in an iambic foot, although the lines vary in amounts of feet. When reading this poem, I noticed the extreme differences of the words "wall" and "fence" as they are used in this poem. The neighbor that dislikes the barrier calls it a wall, implying that it cuts off all ties between the two houses. He wants to get rid of the wall because it a big deal. The other neighbor calls it a fence. He does not obviously think that it is doing too much to their friendship because it is merely a decorative boundary to separate their yards. He does not think it is a big deal so he wants to leave it up. When contemplating the title, the word "mending" has different connotations. It is used as a means to fix and mend the wall every spring when it got destroyed once more and is also used on a deeper level to show that fighting to take the wall down could mend their friendship that the one neighbor has yet to realize is gone.
Grace, I also noticed the constant shift between the words "wall" and "fence." I found it a bit unnerving to be honest, because it kept messing up my mental picture of the barrier. But I think that your reasoning makes a lot of sense. The speaker of the poem is clearly bothered by the barrier, and feels as if it is cutting off his ties with his neighbor. His neighbor, in contrast, simply disregards the speaker's worries, claiming, "good fences make good neighbors." That was a really good thing to point out
DeleteGrace, I also believe the connotations for "mending" in the title are very important. To me, "mending" an object implies that it is easy to fix, and will be fixed with love. I think that this has great significance to the situation. By removing the barrier, the two neighbors could mend their friendship and grow close to one another. It would not be hard to simply let nature remove the blockade from between them. "Mending Wall" is also a play on words. When someone "mends their fence" with someone else, the saying refers to fixing a friendship, just as the poet wants to do in this piece.
DeleteGrace, I like how you pointed out how the different characters in this poem use wall and fence. When I read this poem, I didn't even notice the constant shift between these two words. Although I agree with you, I think this shift is very important and emphasizes what each of the neighbors thinks about the barrier. A wall implying more rigidness and permanent separation. Meanwhile, a fence implies more of flexible barrier that can be crossed at any time.
DeleteThis poem dramatizes the conflict between unity and separation. The poem depicts a speaker who is talking about a wall that separates his neighbors property from his own. The speaker is a man whom I imagine to be middle-aged. He is describing the wall and wondering why he and his neighbor continue to make repairs on it when there seems to be no reason for its existence. The speaker seems very observant of the situation rather than actively invested in it. It doesn't seem that the man and his neighbor are very close, but they're not exactly strangers either. Each year, they mend their sides of the wall, but the speaker wonders why he bothers keeping up the wall, for there are no cows to keep in, only trees of "apple" and "pine." The man's neighbor, however, simply concludes: "good fences make good neighbors." This causes the speaker to wonder about his neighbor's insistence to keep the wall intact.
ReplyDeleteUpon further study, however, the reader comes to understand that perhaps this poem is about more than just a wall. This poem follows the structure of a free verse poem, but it also uses enjabment at some points, most likely to keep with the meter and rhythm of the poem. The poem does not depict any rhymes, but I did notice that each of the ending words have a maximum of only two syllables. This creates a unique effect of having each line end somewhat abruptly with a single syllable or with two quick syllables. This abrupt halt causes the reader to require a moment to ponder the line before continuing onward. The poem does not flow simply, and I think that is significant.This could represent the constant separation between the lines in the poem, which presents a contrast to the poem's theme of unity. The words that the speaker utilizes in this piece are very descriptive. I think he uses these words to make the experience more vivid, and to paint a picture in the mind of the reader. The speaker describes the gaps in the wall that are inevitably discovered each spring. This also refers to the sense of separation that the speaker is talking about. After breaking down the different aspects of the poem, it becomes clear that it is about much more than a friendly wall between neighbors.
Mary, I also noticed the abruptness of this poem. However when I read it out loud, it seemed to flow very naturally. The way it read reminded me of the changing of the seasons. It was slow and methodical, but with a certain beauty. I believe this form contributed to the situation depicted in the poem. The vivid language also helped contribute to the realism of the piece. I agree that the speaker does not seem to be taking any real action in order to change his situation. In fact, he says that he lets neighbor know when the wall needs repaired. This line makes me believe that he may be resigned to his situation, and is simply lamenting how things could have been.
DeleteMary, I will admit that I did not really like this poem at all. I liked the meaning behind it, but it was awkward for me to read at first. It was very choppy so I ended up focusing on that instead of the meaning behind the poem. Even through it was so straight forward, I struggled with this and over analyzed.
DeleteThis poem dramatizes the conflict between tradition and innovation. As the speaker describes his work in the spring, he is torn between the tradition of repairing his wall and alternatively tearing it down. His neighbor, to whom the wall also belongs, maintains that the wall needs to be mended every spring. He is bound by "his father's saying" and so cannot change. The speaker does not see the point of this annual mending. The two men own trees, so the fence is not a barrier between their livelihoods. Instead, he sees the fence as a barrier between the men themselves. The speaker views his neighbor as stuck in the past and incapable of change, describing him as "an old-stone savage."
ReplyDeleteThis is a free verse poem without much rhyme or meter. However, the poem does have a natural steady rhythm to it when it is read aloud. The poet uses enjabment for the entire piece so that it seems to tell a story. This story focuses more on describing the situation created by the barrier than what the two men actually do in order to repair it. The speaker uses common but descriptive language so that the reader can readily picture the scene in their mind. He describes the stones as "loaves" or "nearly balls" and relates the scene to the reader even more by stating that sometimes they must tell the rocks to stay in their place. One important aspect of the poem is the humor the poet included. The poet tells his neighbor that his "apple trees will never get across/ And eat the cones under his pines." This use of humor subtly forces the reader to view the wall as absurd and useless. Another instance of humor comes after the poet indicates that something wants the wall to be taken down. He ponders a moment, and says that he could tell his neighbor it was elves. He continues his thought with the phrase "But it's not elves exactly," suggesting that there is something elvish about the situation, but that there is also something more at work. This phrase helps lighten the tone and mood of the poem. The poet could have been very direct when speaking to his neighbor, but instead he was courteous and friendly about the situation.
I agree that the poem represents a dispute between tradition and innovation. Tradition is shown because the neighbor would rather stick to the safety of the known wall than tear it down and face unknown consequences of not having a barrier between the two. Although the speaker's neighbor cannot seem to come up with a reason not to other than the phrase about good fences making good neighbors, he does not want to face the unknown.
DeleteThis poem by Frost shows the conflict between individuals on the concept of separation. He explains that even though the two men on either side of the wall are friends, they still keep themselves separated from each other. This symbolizes the fact that human brings keep themselves distanced from each other even though they call themselves "friends". Throughout the poem, the poet continually expresses his disdain about how trivial the matter of the wall is. He realizes that the matter does not truly matter when he is on the outside looking in. The neighbors even discuss the fact of keeping the wall in place, but in the end of the poem, it still stands. This shows that the matter of the wall is a very old matter between the neighbors, but yet they still consensually agree to keep the wall up. By doing this, Frost shows the everlasting nature of human beings to distance themselves from each other.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this poem is written in free verse allows for the subject matter of the poem to be shown more clearly. The poem is told in a story like fashion. Enjambment is used throughout the poem to keep the rhythm flowing. However, there is a choppiness in between different lines of the poem. This is significant because it is awkward just like the wall creates an awkwardness between the neighbors. The title of the poem could be symbolic of the yearly mending that the neighbors do to fix the wall. However, the title could also note to the fact that while the neighbors' relationship could be mended by tearing down the wall, it never will be.
Did the neighbors both agree to keep the wall up? I feel as if even though they kept it up for the time being, they were not totally on the same side. The one neighbor wanted the fence to stay up but the other wanted to take the wall down. I imagine them continuing the discussion because it is not yet settled. Only one neighbor wants to distance himself, but I do not agree that it is mutual.
DeleteI like how you pointed out how this poem symbolizes humans naturally wanting to separated. Back in the day, groups of people gathered together and drew lines on a map, in effect, drawing out the national borders for the nations of the world. The USA and Canada are very close, yet, we still maintain our individuality by keeping a border. I do not agree with you when you state that the wall somehow makes complicates their relationship. I think it just kind of something that they do every year, it's like a neighborly tradition. So I guess it's true that in both poetry and politics, good fences make good neighbors.
DeleteThe poem Mending Wall by Robert Frost tells the tale of two neighbors who keep their properties separated by a wall. The speaker of the poem cannot conjure up a reason as to why they keep the wall separating their properties and why they keep repairing the wall to separate the two. The neighbor tells the speaker that "good fences make good neighbors." The speaker remains skeptical as to the logic behind the wall and pushes the neighbor to reconsider his logic. The poem ends by the neighbor reiterating his previous statement about fences and neighbors.
ReplyDeleteThe wall can be seen as a symbol for tradition. The neighbor keep the idea of the wall because his dad told him the idea of the fence. The speaker wants to break away from this tradition, but the neighbor instead wants to conform. The poem does not rhyme but it has rhythm and meter. The majority of the poem is written in iambic pentameter but sometimes it breaks off from the ten syllable pattern. This poem is relevant in today's world because there are many discrepancies with today's modern world's ideas with those of other generations. One example can be the new styles of dressing. Crop tops are seen as trendy and acceptable by younger generations but many elderly people from previous generations see crop tops as disgusting because they were taught to be more conservative with the way they dress.
This poem dramatizes the conflict between tradition and solidarity. The speaker in this poem does not really understand why every year, he and his neighbor repair a wall that separates their property. The neighbor maintains that good walls make good neighbors, and for that reason alone, they should maintain the wall. The neighbors do not appear to be that close, yet they are not complete strangers to one another. This should be expected, since they appear to be farmers and there is lots of land between farmers. The speaker though, only sees the wall as a hinderance to developing some sort of real friendship. The other neighbor insists that the tradition that has been developed be kept.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is extremely odd in the fact that it has no identifiable rhythm or meter. It appears that it is written in free verse. Why is such a poem written in free verse? I believe Frost wrote it in free verse so that it would possess a story-telling type atmosphere. The poem does not possess a happy message or a sad message. In fact, it seems rather neutral in tone.
The poem ends with the rather vague statement that "Good fences make good neighbors." But this does not seem to make much sense at all. How can building walls make better neighbors? I believe the saying is to build bridges, not walls. This line may suggest that as long as their property is clearly divided, there will be no squabbles over property. So the fence kind of takes the ambiguity of where the property line out of the equation.
I agree that this poem has a neutral tone. I think that it is written in free verse because he is just telling the story as it is. He does not want to make it pretty because it isn't, the same reason he does not make it completely dramatic and ugly. Also, that statement is different. It is a paradox because putting something between people should separate them, not bring them closer together.
DeleteI also believe that the free verse allows for the story of the poem to be told. If the poem was written with a specific rhythm and meter I do not think that the message would come through as clear. There are definitely certain situations in which free verse is best to tell a story through a poem, and this is one of them.
DeleteI disagree that the poem does not have a meter. The majorIt of the lines have a ten syllable pattern but some lines break off from this and have eleven syllables. The shift from ten syllables to eleven make the reader pay more attention to those lines since the repetition was just broken.
DeleteIt does kind of seem like the speaker really wants to develop a friendship with his neighbor on the other side of the fence, but his neighbor is clearly not interested. It makes me wonder if there is more to the story. Is there something that the speaker is longing for in their friendship? Or perhaps the neighbor has something to hide from the speaker. I think all of these things are can only be inferred by the reader, but it makes me a bit let down that we don't know what the author is suggesting in this poem.
Delete