Skip to main content

In Frost's poem, "Mending Wall," does the wall between the neighbors' farms serve a practical purpose?

Robert Frost's poem, "Mending Wall," focuses on the relationship between two neighbors. Every year, the two neighbors meet to repair a wall that exists between their two farms. The speaker of the poem does not seem to see the point of maintaining the wall between his property and that of his neighbor. He states that the wall is not needed where it exists. However, his neighbor sees a value to the wall beyond the practical:


There...

Robert Frost's poem, "Mending Wall," focuses on the relationship between two neighbors. Every year, the two neighbors meet to repair a wall that exists between their two farms. The speaker of the poem does not seem to see the point of maintaining the wall between his property and that of his neighbor. He states that the wall is not needed where it exists. However, his neighbor sees a value to the wall beyond the practical:



There where it is we do not need the wall:


He is all pine and I am apple orchard.


My apple trees will never get across



And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.



He only says, "Good fences make good neighbours."




In these lines, the speaker is focusing on the practical use of the wall whereas his neighbor seems to be thinking of what the wall means to them on a more symbolic level. The wall's real purpose is not to keep things in or out, but rather to tie the neighbors together. It not only creates a bond between them, one of shared responsibility for maintaining the wall, but it also gives them a chance to interact yearly, thus helping them maintain their relationship as neighbors, much as they are maintaining the wall.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more