Robert Frost Mending Wall

It is no secret how Robert Frost feels about walls after reading his poem “Mending Wall”. To say that Frost admired and favored walls would be a lie. On the contrary, based on his poem it is apparent that he would prefer there be no walls present. I was led to ask myself, what type of wall is Frost referring to? It is not merely a physical wall made of stone, but a barrier that people place among each other to create an illusion of separation and protection. The style of the poem makes it simple to read, however when you take a closer look into the poem, you discover a whole new meaning. Frost uses a variety of techniques throughout his poem such as metaphor, symbolism and imagery to help us understand his feelings and how those feelings relate to us in society. The use of imagery is strong throughout the poem. The initial image that Frost illustrates with his words is of a new spring day that brings on two neighbors standing at a wall, one on each side, making the annual necessary repairs. Line 2, “That sends the frozen-ground swell under it”, indicates that it is the beginning of spring time which brings on this annual task. I assume that the setting is somewhere out in the countryside which is why there is a wall present between the two neighbors. It is these images that help to create the vision of a barrier between the two neighbors and their attempt at maintaining this barrier between them despite the attempts by nature to tear the wall down. The wall not only serves as a physical image, but as a metaphor for a variety of things. Frost uses the wall to describe how we ‘wall’ ourselves in while not being aware of what we are keeping out. The wall is also used to describe human separation and isolation. It is through these metaphors that we are able to see our natural tendencies to maintain barriers from those around us as a form of protection and constant desire for privacy. Frost gives the impression that he does not want a wall