Analysis of "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost

Irony and Imagery Explored in "Mending Wall"

Robert Frost's poem, "Mending Wall," explores a perplexing aspect of human nature. We have two neighbor's that are brought together under the notion that they are protecting themselves by mending the damage that occurs to a stone wall over the course of a year. The speaker of the poem does not agree with his neighbor's assertion that good fences make good neighbors but he helps mend the wall in order to spend time with his neighbor. Frost utilizes the techniques of irony and imagery to explore the relationship with these two men.

The theme of this poem is understood through irony. It is ironic that the fence separates the two men but it also brings them together at a certain point every year. The wall is also described as "another kind of out-door game" (21), which is also ironic because while the men are repairing a wall, they are also playing a type of game with each other because of their differing attitudes regarding the wall. The fact that good fences make good neighbors is ironic when we consider the first line of the poem. Everyone has their own opinion and there is sometimes very little we can do to change that.

The wall is the most powerful image in the poem. It allows us to see the fence made of stone that is burnt by long hours in the sun. The land is also hilly and vast. This image is one of a rural scene with long acres in between the men. The image of the two farmers on either side of the wall is also powerful because even while they are together, they are separated. This physical setting sets the tone of the poem, as the wall serves as an image of safety for the neighbor, who feels it necessary to have the wall, even if for his own peace of mind. The speaker, however, sees things differently, He states, "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know / What I was walling in or walling out, / and to whom I was like to give offense" (33-5). When the two are working to "set the wall between us once gain" (14), we understand that the wall is much more important to the neighbor than it is to the speaker.