Frost uses the poetic technique of imagery to portray his ideas. Imagery is a device that uses certain words and meanings so that a mental picture is painted. Frost uses imagery to let the reader no what it happening within the poem. In the first part of the poem a description of the wall is given. Over and over, Frost wants the reader to see the poor condition of the wall, and he eventually creates a visual image for the reader. He describes it as, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, / That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, / And spills the upper boulders in the sun; /And makes gaps even two can pass abreast” (lines 1-4). In line 1, Frost places an emphasis on something; it makes the reader believe that this something could be alive; which embodies personification, maybe the something is an animal, or some other force that doesn’t want the wall to be there. The narrator reinforces this assumption, in line 2; he talks of nature gradually destroying the wall. He makes it clear that nature dislikes the wall, because it is unnatural. By the end of line 4, he plainly refers to the size of the holes. The narrator illustrates the wall as having holes that two can pass alongside each other.
The poem is a technique within itself, to where Robert Frost uses it to express his ideas. He conveys a literal representation of building walls; but there is a stronger metaphorical meaning also, which reflects the attitudes of people, towards others. The metaphorical meaning continuously shows a sense of security and comfort by the social barriers that people build, in belief that barriers are a source of protection. This relates to most of the world today. People continuously ‘build walls’ to block others from coming in, or invading their privacy; which makes people less vulnerable to their fears. Frost also uses figurative expressions in “Mending Wall” as well, to describe the relationship that the neighbors share. Many of these expressions contain the literal and metaphorical meaning. For example, “And on a day we meet to walk the line/ And set the wall between us once again” (13-14). These mostly refer to the building of a materialized wall that marks the neighbor’s properties. They represent the barriers in the neighbor’s friendship, but still yet, every time they meet to repair the wall physically, it shows that they are not only mending the wall, but they are mending their friendship as well.
Frost has created and achieved a carefree tone throughout the poem. One of the main aspects is the enhancement of the conversation between the two neighbors. For example, “Stay where you are until our backs are turned!” (19) and “Spring is the mischief in me,” (28). This shows that the neighbors do have fun when the restore the wall, which once again creates the carefree, happy tone. Surprisingly, the mending of the wall brings the neighbors together and builds their friendship. While repairing it, they spend time together, and they improve the relationship that is between them. This representation clearly explains what Frost is trying to reveal when saying “Good fences make good neighbors,” (45). This line backs up the meaning of the poem and shows the connection that the neighbors share with the wall; all in all, it ties the entire poem together.
In “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost describes every detail of the poem, making it interesting and imaginable. He leaves the reader to decide what to take from the poem. Whether the wall should be there or not, and whether is represents something more meaningful than just a wall. “Mending Wall” expresses not only physical means, but is places moral views on cooperation, sociability, and kindness to the reader. Frost offers no answers, and he gives the reader lead way by not moralizing but demonstrating. He demonstrates the conflict with people, and shows that people should have more interactions with one another. By the end of the poem, the reader learns that Frost emphasizes that people should not put up walls to run away from their everyday life.
Work Cited
Frost, Robert. “Mending Wall.” The Poetry of Robert Frost. Ed. Edward Connery Lathem. Rpt. in Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw, 2008. 674-5.
