by Luke Dearden

Created on: May 20, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

In the poem Mending Wall, the author, Robert Frost writes about fixing a wall that separates his property from his neighbors. Annually, both neighbors mend what was destroyed in the winter. During this process, Frost wonders why the wall even exists. However, when questioned, the neighbor repeatedly replies, "Good fences make good neighbors." I believe that Frost thinks this answer is confusing and ridiculous, but he respects it.

In the poem, it is apparent that Robert Frost is confused by his neighbors reply. He cannot understand why good fences make good neighbors, especially in his situation. Frost questions his neighbor by saying, "Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it/ Where there are cows?/ But here there are no cows." Clearly, Frost reasons that because there are no cows near either property, there is nothing to keep in or out. In fact the poem states, "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know/ What I was walling in or out." Lastly, Frost portrays his neighbor as a mysterious and confusing man. He writes, "He [the neighbor] moves in darkness." After reading this, I believe that it is safe to say that because his neighbor is confusing, his ideas are also confusing.

In direct correlation to being confused, Frost believes that the wall is pointless, and his reply is ridiculous. The use of sarcasm gives me this assumption. For example the poem says, "He is all pine and I am apple orchard. / My apple trees will never get across/ And eat the cones under his pines." There is mild sarcasm in this statement. Obviously an apple tree cannot walk across a property line and eat pine cones. This does not need to be stated. Also, when telling his neighbor how the wall annually gets destroyed, Frost writes, "I could say Elves to him." Elves are fictional creatures, and when Frost writes that they were the cause of the destruction he is being sarcastic. Usually when one is being sarcastic he is referring to an absurd situation or statement.

Although Frost is confused by his neighbors reply and thinks that it is ridiculous, he respects it. Instead of not fixing the wall, Frost always helps his neighbor repair it. Frost writes," And on a day we meet to walk the line/ And set the wall between us as we go." This indicates that Frost does not care about how ridiculous or confused he is. After all the wall mending happens only once a year and Frost even thinks of it as a game. He writes, "Oh, just another kind of out-door game, / One on a side." This adds an element of excitement and fun. Furthermore, the word "O'h points out Frost's carefree attitude. Overall, by not caring about the issue to much, Frost respects his neighbor's reply.

I can see why Frost would be confused by his neighbor's reply. I am too. This makes the reply," Good fences make good neighbors," ridiculous. However, interestingly enough, instead taking the next step and getting irritated at his neighbor, Frost respects him. He uses a confusing and ridiculous situation and makes it, just another kind of out-door game. The poem clearly states that Frost is confused by the reply and thinks it is ridiculous, but respects it.

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