Mending Wall
Robert Frost
Detailed Summary
The poem Mending Wall by Robert Frost presents a conversation between two neighbours who meet every spring to repair the wall that separates their properties. The narrator begins by expressing a mysterious force in nature that dislikes walls. This force causes the wall to collapse, creating gaps large enough for two people to walk side by side.
The narrator recalls how hunters and natural forces also damage the wall. Despite this, each year the two neighbours come together to rebuild it. The speaker questions the need for a wall, especially since he grows apple trees and his neighbour grows pines — clearly, the trees won’t cross over. However, the neighbour insists, “Good fences make good neighbours,” a phrase he has inherited from his father.
The speaker views this repeated wall-building as pointless. He believes barriers only separate people and that relationships should be based on understanding, not distance. The poem ends with the neighbour seen as living in “darkness,” blindly following tradition without questioning its purpose.
Theme of the Poem
- Tradition vs. Change: The poem explores the conflict between holding on to traditional ideas and questioning their relevance.
- Human Boundaries: It reflects on how physical barriers also represent emotional and social separation.
- Nature vs. Man: Nature tries to break down walls, but humans keep rebuilding them.
Poetic Devices
| Device | Example | Explanation |
| Metaphor | “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall” | Nature is described as a force against walls. |
| Symbolism | The wall | Symbol of division or boundary in relationships |
| Repetition | “Good fences make good neighbours” | Emphasises blind belief in tradition |
| Irony | The narrator helps rebuild a wall he disagrees with | Shows inner conflict |
| Alliteration | “Before I built a wall I’d ask to know” | Repetition of ‘b’ sound adds rhythm |
| Visual Imagery | “Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top” | Helps readers visualise the neighbour’s effort |