Mending Wall by Robert Lee Frost

 

Quick Notes for Revision- Mending Wall

1.       Introduction of the Author:

1.1.    Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet.

1.2.    His work was initially published in England before gaining recognition in the United States.

1.3.    Frost is known for his realistic portrayals of rural life and his mastery of American colloquial speech.

1.4.    He frequently explored complex social and philosophical themes through his poetry.

2.       Accolades and Awards:

2.1.    Frost received numerous honours during his lifetime.

2.2.    He is the only poet to have been awarded four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.

2.3.    In 1960, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his poetic works.

2.4.    In 1961, Frost was named the poet laureate of Vermont.

3.       Early Life:

3.1.    Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, California, to journalist William Prescott Frost, Jr., and Isabelle Moodie.

3.2.    His father had English ancestry, descending from Nicholas Frost of Tiverton, Devon, England.

3.3.    His mother was a Scottish immigrant.

3.4.    Frost's family had connections to early settlers of Massachusetts.

4.       Education and Early Career:

4.1.    Frost attended Dartmouth College for a brief period but left due to illness.

4.2.    He sold his first poem, “My Butterfly. An Elegy,” in 1894 for $15.

4.3.    He proposed to Elinor Miriam White, but they delayed marriage until she finished college.

5.       Teaching and Writing:

5.1.    Frost worked various jobs, including teaching, newspaper delivery, and factory work.

5.2.    He taught English at different institutions, including Pinkerton Academy and New Hampshire Normal School.

5.3.    Frost wrote poems early in the mornings while managing a farm in Derry, New Hampshire.

6.       Journey to England:

6.1.    In 1912, Frost and his family moved to England, where he made important literary acquaintances.

6.2.    His first book of poetry, “A Boy's Will,” was published in 1913.

6.3.    Frost was influenced by poets like Edward Thomas and Ezra Pound.

7.       Return to America and Teaching:

7.1.    In 1915, during World War I, Frost returned to the United States.

7.2.    He bought a farm in Franconia, New Hampshire, where he wrote and taught.

7.3.    Frost taught English at Amherst College, emphasizing the importance of spoken English in writing.

8.       Personal Life and Tragedies:

8.1.    Frost's personal life was marked by grief and loss, including the deaths of family members.

8.2.    His mother, father, sister, and daughter faced mental health issues.

8.3.    He and his wife, Elinor, had six children, and only two outlived him.

9.       Style and Critical Reception:

9.1.    Frost's poetry is characterized by its representation of ordinary life and colloquial language.

9.2.    Randall Jarrell praised Frost's ability to depict everyday people and their experiences.

9.3.    Frost's work received both critical acclaim and criticism, with some focusing on its bleakness and others on its folksy New England charm.

10.   Themes in Frost's Poetry:

10.1.                      Frost's poems explore fundamental questions of existence and the individual's place in an indifferent universe.

10.2.                      He often portrays rural life and the human response to nature's processes.

10.3.                      His works are noted for their sympathetic humour and character-driven narratives.

 

Summary of “Mending Wall”:

1. Introduction:
• The poem begins with the speaker suggesting a force opposed to the use of walls, potentially symbolizing nature.
• The speaker mentions hunters who dismantle walls to catch rabbits.
2. Mending the Wall:
• The speaker and his neighbour meet to mend their wall together.
• They converse while working, and the labour causes calluses on their hands.
3. The Debate:
• The speaker questions the necessity of the wall, given that they have different types of trees and no cows to disrupt.
• The neighbour responds with the adage, “Good fences make good neighbours.”
4. Persuasion and Conclusion:
• The speaker attempts to change his neighbour’s perspective.
• He mentions a mysterious force that doesn't love a wall but ultimately realizes he cannot change his neighbour’s mindset.
• The poem ends with the neighbour repeating, “Good fences make good neighbours.”

Analysis Questions:

1. The calloused hands could symbolize the physical toll of maintaining boundaries, but it could also imply the emotional toll of maintaining barriers between people. Whether it's good or bad depends on one's perspective.
2. The poem implies that man-made barriers are often in conflict with nature. The contrast between nature's destructive force and man's desire for boundaries highlights the tension between the two.
3. The repetitive act of mending the wall can be seen as a futile act, like Sisyphus rolling a boulder uphill only for it to roll back down. It questions the necessity of maintaining boundaries when there might be no practical reason to do so.

Form of “Mending Wall”:

• The poem consists of a single, 46-line stanza written in blank verse.
• Frost's use of simple vocabulary and conversational tone mimics the interaction between the neighbours.
• The single stanza feels appropriate as it focuses on the central theme of the wall.

Speaker in “Mending Wall”:

• The speaker is a farmer in rural New England with an apple orchard.
• He is well-educated and philosophically curious.
• The speaker represents Frost's personal ideas and contrasts with the practical worldview of his neighbour.

Section Analysis:

• Lines 1–9: Introduce the idea of a mysterious force (nature) and the destructive force of hunters. The contrast between nature and man is evident.
• Lines 10–22: The speaker and neighbour rebuild the wall together, respecting each other's boundaries. The act of rebuilding has a monotonous quality.
• Lines 23–38: The speaker questions the wall's necessity, mentioning apple trees vs. pine trees and the lack of cows. The neighbour responds with the adage, and the speaker tries unsuccessfully to change his mind.
• Lines 39–45: The speaker observes his neighbour and considers him ignorant and stuck in his ways. The poem ends with the neighbour repeating the adage.