The Mending Wall
Brandon Jones
October 17, 2013
Essay Two: Literary Research Paper
Advanced Composition
The Mending Wall
Separation between two friends can not only give each other space for a period of time, but benefit the relationship as a whole. When people have different views that often clash, separation gives the relationship a new insight to make amends with each other. In the poem, “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, two neighbors meet every year to repair the stone wall that divides their property. The author is skeptical about the wall, believing that the wall is unnecessary because there is no livestock on the property, only apples and pine trees. The author comes to notice that the outside world has a strong dislike for the wall as much as he does. This causes boulders to fall for no reason and mysterious gaps to appear. Unlike the author, his neighbor strongly believes that the wall is crucial to maintaining their relationship. He continually says, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Throughout the poem, we see that the neighbor keeps trying to convince the narrator otherwise about the wall, which leads his narrator to call his neighbor old fashioned for following the tradition so strictly. Even through the constant disagreements between one another, the neighbor stands his ground on his opinion on the wall, repeating, “Good fences make good neighbors.” There is more meaning to the wall than just separation between two people’s properties. The wall symbolizes the need for people to work together to form a strong relationship to accomplish a common goal.
Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26th, 1874. Frost’s father was a journalist whose drinking habits let to an early death by tuberculosis in 1885 at the age of 34. After his death, Frost’s mother moved to the family to Massachusetts where Frost graduated in 1892 as one of the two valedictorians from Lawrence High School. His co-valedictorian was his future wife, Elinor Miriam White. After
October 17, 2013
Essay Two: Literary Research Paper
Advanced Composition
The Mending Wall
Separation between two friends can not only give each other space for a period of time, but benefit the relationship as a whole. When people have different views that often clash, separation gives the relationship a new insight to make amends with each other. In the poem, “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, two neighbors meet every year to repair the stone wall that divides their property. The author is skeptical about the wall, believing that the wall is unnecessary because there is no livestock on the property, only apples and pine trees. The author comes to notice that the outside world has a strong dislike for the wall as much as he does. This causes boulders to fall for no reason and mysterious gaps to appear. Unlike the author, his neighbor strongly believes that the wall is crucial to maintaining their relationship. He continually says, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Throughout the poem, we see that the neighbor keeps trying to convince the narrator otherwise about the wall, which leads his narrator to call his neighbor old fashioned for following the tradition so strictly. Even through the constant disagreements between one another, the neighbor stands his ground on his opinion on the wall, repeating, “Good fences make good neighbors.” There is more meaning to the wall than just separation between two people’s properties. The wall symbolizes the need for people to work together to form a strong relationship to accomplish a common goal.
Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26th, 1874. Frost’s father was a journalist whose drinking habits let to an early death by tuberculosis in 1885 at the age of 34. After his death, Frost’s mother moved to the family to Massachusetts where Frost graduated in 1892 as one of the two valedictorians from Lawrence High School. His co-valedictorian was his future wife, Elinor Miriam White. After