Alienation of the Individual in the Poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost

443 Words2 Pages
Mending Wall Ale Hernández 11°A World War I is definitely one of the most memorable and dreadful events of human history, which not only took away millions of lives, but people’s vivacity and trust as well. Society alienated. This era is characterized by the isolation and wariness in people. In his poem “Mending Wall”, Robert Frost portrays an example through the speaker, figurative language and syntax in which he perceives and questions the alienation and mistrust of the people who surround him. Frost includes in the poem two contrasting points of view about the wall separation. The speaker’s qualities of being friendly, open-minded and peaceful make him stand-out in a hostile society. He says the spring makes him “mischievous” (28), talks about “elves” (36) and strongly believes there is “something” (35) that does not love a wall. On the other side, the neighbour is an “old-stone savage” (40) who is so close-minded that he keeps repeating the same cliché “Good fences make good neighbours”(45). The poet allows the speaker to analyze both points of view. This allows the reader analyze the question from two sides. Are isolation and restrictions really necessary for a healthy coexistence? Figurative language is perhaps the most obvious, yet pivotal characteristic of the poem. The symbolism of the wall is what gives the poem its essence, and it is even present in the title. The speaker’s eagerness to socialize with his neighbour is constantly thwart by the wall. The wall represents the barriers people tend to construct around themselves. This directly refers once again to the alienation of the individuals. As already stated, the poet supplies the reader with aspects from the two different points of view. This provokes him to question himself. Numerous questions are presented, though in line 30 the “Why” is in italics. This emphasizes the doubt in the speaker and

More about Alienation of the Individual in the Poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost

Open Document