The Wall Between My Mind And My Words

In his poem “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost presents the reader ideas of barriers between people, communication, friendship, and the sense of protection acquired from these boundaries. The poem conveys its meaning through the usage of imagery, structure, and tone. As well, he converges both the literal and metaphorical meaning of the wall into the poem in order to embody the different barriers present in life.

Frost’s usage of imagery in the poem’s first lines suggests the degradation of the wall. The verse structure of the poem, being iambic pentameter, emphasizes on the words “gaps,” and “wall.” These single syllable words are located in a stress-stress foot, which inevitably breaks the poetic rhythm of the poem. Hence, Frost creates a close connection between these as the words illustrate a vivid impression of the wall’s degradation. As well, Frosts depicts that “something” as a human-like being through the use of personification. On the other hand, Frost employs nature imagery to portray the destruction of this wall. The narrator seems to believe that nature is that “something” that dislikes the wall and attempts to destroy it. He explains that nature (the something), “doesn’t love a wall, / That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it” (Frost 1-2). Literally, the poem, describes nature making holes, but metaphorically, the wall’s degradation might signify that nature wishes men to “walk together” in order to have no barriers that separate them from one another.

Throughout the poem, the speaker maintains a non-chalant tone. One of the main techniques used to achieve this is by including colloquial conversation. For example the conversation “Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”and the metaphor “spring is mischief in me,” portrays a light hearted atmosphere amongst neighbors mending the wall together. Also, the juxtaposition of the fence to an outdoor game contributes to his non-chalant tone. On the other hand, the speaker uses light and comical diction to describe the neighborhood in a humoristic manner. Even though he employs imagery to describe his neighbor’s attitude, his depiction of the reparation of the fence is rather comical. For example, he uses the simile “like an old-stone savage” to juxtapose him to a Stone Age man. Hence, the speaker’s non-chalant tone contributes the poem’s ironic and metaphorical representation of boundaries in life.

Structurally, the poem illustrates the absence of these barriers. It is written in blank verse and contains a narrative-like style. Repetition is used as a technique to emphasize the main ideas. The line “something there is that doesn't love a wall” (1) repeats in line thirty-five with a new meaning. It refers to the attitudes of the narrator towards the wall - the narrator does not 'love the wall' and wants it down - whereas the 'something' mentioned in the first line of the poem refers to nature. Another example of repetition is the statement “good fences make good neighbors.” This reflects back to and emphasizes the idea and opinion society adopts: there will always be a barrier standing between people, acting as a boundary that separates their social relations from their personal privacy. Therefore, the absence of separations in his poem expand the metaphorical meaning of the poem, and his critique towards social disjointing.