What did the poet and his neighbour do in “Mending Wall?”

Answer

 What did the poet and his neighbour do in “Mending Wall?” [NU: 2016]

Or, What are the arguments of the two men in “Mending Wall?” [NU: 2013]

Robert Frost’s (1874-1963) poem “Mending Wall” (1914) tells the story of two neighbours. They meet every spring to repair the stone wall that divides their lands. The poem actually shows the arguments of the two men. They argue whether the wall is necessary at all.

Repairing the Wall: Every spring, the speaker and his neighbour walk along the wall that separates their fields. Winter frost and hunters break the stones of the wall. So they put them back in place. They pick up the stones, some heavy like loaves, some round like balls, and place them carefully.

The Speaker’s Argument: The speaker thinks that the wall is not necessary. He grows apple trees on one side, and his neighbour grows pine trees on the other. He jokes that his apple trees will never get across and eat his neighbour’s pines. So, he asks why they need a wall when there are no cows or animals to keep in or out. He also feels that nature itself “doesn’t love a wall.” This is why the wall keeps breaking down every year. He says:

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.”

For the speaker, the wall is meaningless and only separates people.

The Neighbour’s Argument: The neighbour disagrees. He believes in tradition. He is not happy to accept modern or smart ways of thinking. So, his only reply is,

“Good fences make good neighbours.”

To him, walls are important for respect and boundaries. So, the speaker thinks his neighbour is like an “old-stone savage” living in darkness.

In short, Frost’s speaker and his neighbour both mend the wall together, but they think differently. The speaker questions the need for walls, while the neighbour trusts old tradition.