FREE ESSAY ON BRINGING DOWN THE MENDING WALL

BRINGING DOWN THE MENDING WALL

Traditions have always had a substantial effect on the lives of human beings, and always
will. Robert Frost uses many unique poetic devices in his poem "Mending Wall," as well as
many shifts in the speaker's tone to develop his thoughts on traditions. The three
predominant tones used are those of questioning, irony and humor. 
The speaker questions many things in relation to the wall that is being rebuilt. For
example, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall" (ll. 1, 35), is used to question
what despises the wall's presence. The speaker goes on to discuss the earth's swells that
make gaps in the wall (l. 2), as well as the hunters, (l. 5) "not leaving a stone on a
stone," (l. 7) merely to please the yelping dogs with a rabbit. In line thirty, the
speaker questions, "Why do they make good neighbors" because he believes that the wall is
interfering with a possible relationship with his neighbor. Another key question asked is
"What I was walling in or walling out," (l. 33) to show that there is no difference when
the wall is construct or not, both neighbor's tasks are completed and no harm is done.
Frost develops irony through his shifts in tone within the "Mending Wall." The irony is
most dramatic in lines fourteen and fifteen, "And set the wall between us once again / We
keep the wall between us as we go." The speaker now realizes that the wall separates the
neighbors, but also unites them at mending time, for the purpose of placing themselves
apart once again. Other ironical situations are developed by the speaker's tone of
questioning and his/her ability to initiate thoughts. It is rather apparent that in the
early stages of the poem, the speaker does not comprehend the wall's existence;
eventually, the speaker begins to think for himself and express his feelings about the
wall. 
The use of humor is used in many situations in the poem, not only to tell the truth, but
also to express that the speaker believes that the wall is pointless. "We have to use a
spell to make them balance / Stay where you are until our backs are turned" (ll. 19,20),
clearly shows that the speaker does not really care about the wall; he thinks of the
mending time as a joke. The speaker also shows his disbelief in the wall by asking about
cows (l. 31), and then by blaming elves (l. 36) for the destruction of the wall. "My
apple… across / And eat the cones… pines" (ll. 25,26), might be the most
humorous, but truthful statement in the entire poem.
These three key uses of tone are all brought together to represent Frost's view of
traditions. The poem brilliantly depicts two neighbors, one who questions and finds flaws
with the tradition of mending, and another who believes strongly in the tradition and is
appreciative of the wall's presence without really looking at the pointless effect. The
contrasting neighbor's thoughts can be related to society during Frost's time of writing
as well as during the modern society of today in that many people would believe in the
speaker's perception of traditions while others would support traditions.