The Mending Wall
The Wall Between Neighbors The poem, Mending Wall by Robert Frost, is mostly about a wall between neighbors. The wall is a metaphoric, as well as literal element in the poem. The speaker conveys not only the differences between himself and his neighbor, but the implications of those differences. The speaker is on one side of an issue/wall and the neighbor is on the other. The speaker conveys the difference between his neighbor and himself. The wall symbolizes the split of personalities and properties between the neighbors. "He is all pine and I am [an] apple orchard," the speaker says. He also says that "my apple trees will never get across and eat his pines." Referring to the wall, the speaker means that nothing on his property will be any harm to his neighbor's property or belongings. When the neighbor says "Good Fences make good Neighbors," his difference in opinion shines through. The speaker believes he doesn't need the wall, he doesn't understand what he was "walling in or walling out." However, his neighbor believes the opposite. He has a reason for the wall. His father's saying was "Good Fences make good neighbors," so he doesn't want to undermine his father's beliefs. The neighbor, in the speaker's eyes, does not believe he can think for himself. The speaker however, has his own set of beliefs, not guided through a parent figure. He thought for himself and did not let anyone influence his beliefs; which lead to how their personalities differ along with their beliefs. Because of the differences of both neighbor's personalities and actions have implications of their own. The wall is the symbol of the metaphorical splitting of beliefs, as well as the literal splitting of properties. When the speaker talks about the pine and apple tree, he is using imagery. By imagining the plants, the reader is better able to see the split in personalities. He is implying that the neighbor believes separate properties are better. The neighbor does not