Robert Frost Explains Why Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?

Both Frost's poem and Reagan's speech deal with the theme d separation. Frost discussed two neighbors who are separated by a stone wall. The narrator speaks of his dislike for this stone wall. In Reagan's speech he talks of the Berlin Wall dividing East and West Berlin. These two both

This creates a boundary that, that person never wants crossed again. Every now and again one finds openings within the bricks or holes in their “wall”. These holes in the wall represent the breakdown of one’s blockade as they are trying to let someone in or someone forcing their way in. On the other hand, there are people who love to have an open mindset towards everyone with no boundaries or guards up that they feel necessary. This is similar to the feelings of the speaker, as in lines 1-2 and lines 23 -26 in which the speaker tries to convince his neighbor that they do not need these walls, yet he continues to stick to his traditional saying of “good fences make good neighbors”. This brings the reader to an assumption that the neighbor has created these emotional barriers or “walls” that he is choosing to stick by. This term of “mending” that is used in the title means restored, altered, or adjusted which stands for a symbol in this poem of how as the relationship of the two neighbors changed, so did their fences as they might find these loose pieces. Within the poem the speaker talks of how the season of spring is coming about and he begins to get a little mischievous. This is one way the speaker uses the new season as a way to loosen these bricks within this wall that they have built and tear it down, but the neighbor refuses to give in. There are people like this in the world that try

Robert Frost’s Mending Wall In his poem 'Mending Wall', Robert Frost presents to us the thoughts of barriers linking people, communication, friendship and the sense of security people gain from barriers. His messages are conveyed using poetic techniques such as imagery, structure and humor, revealing a complex side of the poem

Undoubtedly, Mending Wall expressed the feeling of alienation through its character feelings and actions taken. This takes place in New England where Frost grew up the fence or walls that perimeter property lines were alone rocks stack up top of each other. Upon the writing of Mending Wall there was much controversy in the United State about the civil right movement. This poem was looked at as a civil rights piece, though the wasn’t Frost intentions. In the poem it says, “Before I built a wall I’d ask to know, What I was walling in or walling out.” (Mending Wall). The simple look at this poem is two men picking up rocks and stacking them to build the wall back up. Another way to look at is why build such a wall when every spring you know you have to do it again. Especially since the wall isn’t really keeping anything in or out because both farm own trees and the trees are just going to get up and walk away. Each farmer is in some form

In “Mending Wall”, two neighbors are ironically united by the traditional rebuilding of the wall between them. A wall symbolizes boundaries, orders, and separation. Or does it? One of the two neighbors doesn’t seem to think so. “Good fences make good neighbors” is his motto. (Line 26) The neighbor doesn’t see how ironic it is that the wall is a meeting spot. He uses the wall as an excuse to talk with his neighbor, because he is not very open or conversational. The situational irony ostended by Robert Frost is that the wall between the two clashing neighbors is supposed to separate them. However, each year, when they meet to “walk the line”, the wall serves as a meeting spot for the two to catch up. (Line 12) Dividing, but unifying, Frost uses the wall to symbolize unity amongst clashing people. Without the situational irony of repairing the wall, the two incompatible neighbors would unlikely be able to unite.

There are several likenesses and differences in these poems. They each have their own meaning; each represent a separate thing and each tell a different story. However, they are all indicative of Frost’s love of the outdoors, his true enjoyment of nature and his wistfulness at growing old. He seems to look back at youth with a sad longing.

Walls separate friends and family from being together and having fun. In Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" the narrator and neighbor don't abhor each other but the wall is stopping them from being good neighbors. Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" is about taking down a wall that separates a country into two countries. The walls of the two texts are

While the narrator seems more willing to reach out to his neighbor, in the end, he does not. He does wonder why fences supposedly make good neighbors. For him, the question is what is he "walling in or walling out"? He seems to realize that he is "walling out" other people. As long as the symbolic wall stands between the neighbors, they will always be separated. Earlier in the poem, Frost uses the symbolism of a rabbit to seemingly reinforce this point. The hunters must destroy the wall in order to "have the rabbit out of hiding". The men, in turn must break down the walls between them if they are to come out of "hiding". The narrator seems to have a desire to point this out to his neighbor. However, he does not, simply dismissing his idea as "the mischief" that spring has instilled in him. He realizes that he is unable to communicate with his neighbor in any meaningful fashion and, thus, remains in isolation from him.

The author was trying to get people to understand that fences aren’t just about keeping people out ,but to keep loved ones, Such as friends and family in and opposed to keeping them out so they will grow distant until they no longer wish to be with you or to get into it with

In Frost's poem, the wall between the neighbors emotionally impacts the narrator because he begins to think of his neighbor as an "old-stone savage," implying that because of the neighbor's desire to keep the wall the thinks of him to be old-fashioned. Frost also touches on the physical impact of repairing the wall with the line "We wear our fingers rough with handling them." In Reagan's speech, he talks of the physical impact on people with the statement "there remain armed guards and checkpoints," implying that if someone tries to cross the wall without permission they will be met with hostility. He also conveys the emotional impact of the wall on the Berliners stating that "to those listening throughout Eastern Europe, a special word: Although I cannot be with you," implying that he along with all people of the West cannot reach those trapped in the East such as family and friends due to the wall. Reagan also remarks on the physical impact of the wall on the countries and civilizations of Europe with the statement that in the East "we see failure, technological backwardness, declining standards of health," showing that since the East is cut off from the prosperity of the West it is struggling to sustain itself. While both Reagan and Frost discuss some of the same topics, they deliver it differently to their

The poem renders an apparent question: Why do He also uses other devices such as a pun, applied in the line, "And to whom I was like to give offence." The last word of the line simply emphasizes the importance of the subject, the fence. The most prominent figure of speech, however, is the ironic, "Good fences make good neighbors." This is completely opposite of the connotation of the poem. Fences do not make neighbors, but strangers that are apathetic towards each other. The neighbor seems to prefer this approach, to eliminate any risks of trespassing or offenses. Yet what the fence really does is hinder the development of friendship. This is comparable to the barriers of bitterness, anger, hate, and fear men put between one another that obstruct love and friendship.

Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” presents the duality of two neighbors’ perspectives on a wall from the viewpoint of a more open-minded neighbor. Both of these perspectives are repeated twice by each participant in our poem, which thematically state their perspectives; our speaker stating “Something there is that doesn’t love a

Frost used a distinct way of writing throughout his poem that not only hooked the reader into the story, but also made them question their own views of walls, both physical and psychological. In the poem it is displayed that walls can be both good and bad. The wall that the narrator sees as the embodiment of what separates them, it is actually the one thing that brings them together every spring. Near the end, the narrator brings back the original question, what is the something? With this poem, maybe Frost wanted the reader to examine themselves and their surroundings and try to answer the question of tradition, and how they unite us and separates us at the same time. The narrator’s neighbor is the personification of the old ways and custom in the poem, it is evident as he is constantly repeating “good fences make good neighbors” (Frost 245) and the fact that “he will not go behind his father’s saying” (Frost 246). Even though, good fences make good neighbors is a well-known proverb, people will eventually ask themselves: Why is it necessary to have fences to build good

     This poem offers a holistic view of a wall and it’s affect on neighbors. This aspect of the poem allows the reader to decide on the need for a wall. Walls serve many purposes in society like boundaries, defense, and offense. But should society as a whole let wall separate itself from one another. So the question still stands do walls or fences really make

In Roberts, Mending Wall, he expresses the alienation within our society. This story was and is very controversial throughout history. Written in 1914, it became widely known for its connection with racism and segregation. In 1960, Frost was asked to read it for President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. In JFK’s inauguration speech, he declared, “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom”(Kennedy), which shows how he felt about segregation. This created a skirmish throughout the U.S., because this poem was so controversial. The poem, which was a memory when Frost was a young boy, consists of him walking the line. Walking the line means picking up rocks that had falling from the ice melting, recreating the fence between you and your neighbor. Frost suggests alienation in this story by using symbolism of the lines between African Americans and white folk. In the poem he asks the question, “Why do they make good neighbors”(line 30)? An interpretation of this line is that he is asking the question, ‘why do we have these lines between our people? There is no reasons to have these lines separating us?’. The poem suggests that we get into routines and then never break them because we have done them for generations. Frost challenges this, asking questions that are very hard to answer.