Perhaps the greatest irony in the poem “Mending Wall ” is that
the speaker continues to help rebuild the wall even as he realizes he disagrees with its presence
. As the poem progresses, the speaker notes how all sorts of natural forces, like the ground and animals, conspire to take down the wall each winter.
How does the speaker feel about the wall in Mending Wall?
In the poem, the speaker is
unhappy about the gaps
; the reason for this is that, once the gaps are discovered, he and his neighbor must work together again to put up the wall that separates their properties.
What is ironic about the speaker?
The speaker grows apples while their neighbor only has pines in their yard. Neither of them have grazing animals. With this aversion to barriers, it is ironic that
the speaker is the one who initiates the mending of the wall.
What do we learn about the speaker in Mending Wall?
Expert Answers
In “The Mending Wall ,” the speaker is
a practical man who sees himself as more modern, free thinking, and rational than his traditional neighbor
. The speaker is irritated about having to the repair the stone wall between two properties, but he has a sense of humor about it.
Why the speaker does not mend the wall in Mending Wall?
The speaker does not like having the wall.
He finds it inconvenient and kind of pointless
, since neither of the neighbors have livestock that might cross from one person's land to the other. It also needs repair each year, which is annoying.
Why does the narrator believe the wall is unnecessary?
The narrator doesn'
t understand it himself
; he sees the wall as unnecessary, since “He is all pine and I am apple orchard. / My apple trees will never get across / And eat the cones under his pines” (25-7). The narrator is practical, analytical; he sees no purpose and thus considers this a waste of time.
What does the wall symbolize in mending wall?
“The Mending Wall” by Robert Frost is a poem that contains many symbols, the chief of which is the mending wall itself. The physical barrier of the wall represents the psychological or symbolic barrier between two human beings. … The wall is
a representation of the barriers to friendship and communication
.
Why does the speaker say elves in Mending Wall?
Unlock
Elves are small, often mischievous supernatural creatures from folklore that are known to cause damage. They often become a scapegoat when things go wrong. In “Mending Wall,” the elves are
a figurative way of discussing the forces that work to undo the wall.
What is the theme of the poem Mending Wall?
A widely accepted theme of “Mending Wall”
concerns the self-imposed barriers that prevent human interaction
. In the poem, the speaker's neighbor keeps pointlessly rebuilding a wall. More than benefitting anyone, the fence is harmful to their land. But the neighbor is relentless in its maintenance.
What does the speaker personify in Mending Wall and why?
The speaker just personifies this
force of normal erosion
, saying that it “doesn't love a wall.” The one who really does not love the wall is the speaker. He gets annoyed by the process of repeatedly rebuilding the wall, which he considers to be unnecessary in the first place.
What kind of wall is being mended in Mending Wall?
In “Mending Wall,”
a stone wall that acts as a property line between two
farms is being mended by two farmers. Harsh elements and passing hunters have displaced many of the wall's stones, and the two property owners come together each spring to mend the wall.
What is the first line of the poem Mending Wall?
In “Mending Wall,” what does the first line mean: “
Something there is that doesnt love a wall that sends the frozen-ground-swell under it.”
What is the Mending Wall a metaphor for?
“Mending Wall” is a poem written by the poet Robert Frost. The poem describes two neighbors who repair a fence between their estates. It is, however, obvious that this situation is a metaphor for
the relationship between two people
. The wall is the manifestation of the emotional barricade that separates them.
Why does the neighbor want the wall in Mending Wall?
In “Mending Wall,” the neighbor wants the wall in part
because his own father shaped his view that “good fences make good neighbors
.” He also believes that boundaries between people help maintain a sense of peace and keep the threat of conflict at bay.
What does the wall symbolism?
The wall offers
symbolic protection
, securing our physical, social and economic wellbeing. For others, the symbolic wall activates opposite emotions.
What makes the wall fall the first time around?
What makes the wall fall the first time around? …
The hunters destroy walls
. Robert Frost has a spell to make the stones balance.
