Mending Wall

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1. 
   linda-allen Teacher
   High School - 10th Grade

   The writer of the Masterplots commentary on the poem notes that the theme of the poem is barriers. To a great extent, that is correct. The action described is that of the speaker and his neighbor doing the annual repair work on the wall between their properties. This wall sets up a barrier to keep their animals in and to keep each other out.

   There is a sense as well that the theme might be the breaking down of barriers. The neighbor says twice that "good fences make good neighbors." The speaker says just as often, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall." From this statement and from his description of the repair as being a chore, you get the sense that the "something" that doesn't love the wall is really the speaker, that he would be happy to remove that barrier.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/mending-wall-salem/mending-wall/

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   Posted by linda-allen on Wednesday April 9, 2008 at 8:44 AM
   
   

2. 
   amy-lepore Teacher
   High School - 12th Grade

   Friendship could also be a theme to this poem, or at least comraderie.  Without the help of the neighbor, the wall would fall into disrepair.  They work on it together, thus, "good fences make good neighbors".  Perhaps without the fence and the job of its upkeep, they would not know each other at all? 

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/mendingwall

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   Posted by amy-lepore on Wednesday April 9, 2008 at 9:10 AM