Essay Revisions

Literary Analysis on “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

The poem,”Mending Wall”, was written by Robert Frost, an American poet. The poem

was created according to rural New England’s setting, where Frost lived at that time. The poem

adapted the characteristics of the characteristics and rituals of the country. The poem describes a

ritual where the speaker and a neighbor met to rebuild a wall made of stone between their

properties, “And on a day we meet to walk the line and set the wall between us once again”

(Frost, 1914). The ritual brings out the main idea of the poem, which is the value of boundaries

between people and the importance of human labor.

Robert Frost wrote “Mending Wall” during a period in the 19th century characterized by

literary modernism. It reacts to the rapid urbanization and industrialization in the 19h century,

and in the upcoming modern world. Frost in his poem tries to bring out the excitement of

literature while cultivating innovation. The writer makes use of symbols in form of literature to

describe the poem. “The frozen ground swell”, (Frost, 1914) as he says, describes the frost,

which is an unsettling force in “Mending Wall”, acts as a damaging object which knocks out

large parts of the wall. The frost is described to be strange, as the writer says, “No one has seen

them made or heard them made.”(Frost, 1914) The strange force behind the frost carries a

significant meaning in the poem. The frost and its strange force signify nature and its effect on

humans. In other terms, things created by human beings are temporary as opposed to nature

which is pulled by its own natural forces.

The spring, traditionally used to refer to rebirth, is used in the poem to symbolize

renewal: “But at spring mending-time we find them there.” (Frost, 1914) Renewal is

demonstrated when the speaker and the neighbor take part in rebuilding the wall. Additionally,

the poem elaborates the value of human work, which creates a feeling of renewal, just as the wall

in the poem is rebuilt every spring. The fence in the poem not only symbolizes the border

between two properties, but also divisions that exist between humans. The poem raises questions

whether borders separate people with existing relationships or whether creating boundaries is

important in establishing a peaceful coexistence. The cows carry an important meaning in the

poem,”Mending Wall.” The speaker explains something wider and deeper when he announces,

“Where there are cows? But here there are no cows”. (Frost, 1914) The lack of cows signify the

absence of conflict; the speaker and the neighbor use their properties for different purposes but

do not conflict over resources, meaning that there is no need of fear. They can live peacefully

with or without a wall between them.

The poem “Mending Wall has its heart at explaining about borders, the struggle to

maintain them and its impact on human beings. Throughout the poem, the speaker and the

neighbor concentrate on rebuilding the wall as they explain its function and how it influences

their relationship. The writer explains the unnecessary of the wall but the neighbor disputes him

by insisting that the wall mends relationships. In this way, the poem allows readers to take a

stand on either of the sides. The speaker believes that the way continually damages people’s

relationships and therefore he doesn’t see the use of repairing it. The neighbor ultimately

responds: “Good fences make good neighbors.”(Frost, 1914) The speaker believes that there is

no reason to initiate a wall between them because a conflict does not exist between them. They

never compete for resources and therefore they can peacefully live together side by side. They

further disagree on whether human beings’ conflicts are inevitable or whether they arise from

critics, which creates chances of peace between people. The poem remains ambiguous and gives

the reader the opportunity to judge accordingly.

In conclusion, Frost, in the poem “Mending Wall” announces the true meaning of the

title. He uses four specific lines to do this:

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill

And on a day we meet to walk the line

We keep the wall between us as we go

Obviously, the wall acts as a boundary between the two lands, one who is primitive and

the other one who is urban. The wall also repairs the natural landscape which would appear as a

scar. Regardless, the writer works on passing out a message of mending relationships, whether it

is by destroying or creating barriers. The poem indirectly applies to human interactions and how

it can be repaired.