Analysis of “Mending Wall”

Analysis of “Mending Wall”


Robert Frost’s "Mending Wall" is a poem which describes two neighbors who repair a wall between their places of residence. As one examines this literature more extensively it is apparent that this situation is a metaphor for the relationship two people share. The wall spoken about is the evident barrier that separates them. Within this poem one can see numerous promising examples of tone, imagery, symbolism, style, and theme.
The tone in the poem consists of much strain between the two neighbors’ philosophies. As seen in lines 26 and 44 the neighbor sees barriers as a good thing when he replies, “Good fences make good neighbors.” This relays a strong message about how separation can assist human life. On the other hand, the narrator expresses displeasure at such separation when he says in lines 24 and 25, “My apple trees will never get across and eat the cones under his pines….” From this point it is assumed that the narrator disfavors...