Discussion Topic

"Mending Wall" Wall Repair Timing

Summary:

In Robert Frost's "Mending Wall," the narrator and his neighbor spend a day each spring mending the wall that separates their properties. The narrator views this as a waste of time, questioning the need for the wall since neither has livestock. He occasionally repairs sections alone, particularly after hunters disturb it. Despite the narrator's skepticism, his neighbor insists on the tradition, citing the adage "Good fences make good neighbors." This annual ritual reflects differing perspectives on boundaries and tradition.

Expert Answers

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How long does it take to mend the wall in Robert Frost's "Mending Wall"?

In "Mending Wall," it takes the narrator and his neighbor a day to mend the wall between their properties. We know this, because the narrator states:

And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
It depends on your perspective as to whether this is a long time or a short time to spend mending a stone wall. A day may not seem that long in the scheme of things, but from the narrator's point of view, it is a waste of time to mend the wall at all. He doesn't see any reason for them to keep a wall between their two properties because neither of them has any livestock that can wander away and damage each other's property. However, the neighbor is quite adamant that the wall must be repaired each spring. For the neighbor, tradition dictates this repair because his father taught him that "good fences make good neighbors."
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When does the narrator repair the wall alone in "Mending Wall"?

When hunters come through and take the stones down to find a hiding rabbit for their excited ("yelping") dogs, the narrator will come out by himself and fix the wall.

Otherwise, he waits for the annual springtime wall mending ritual with his neighbor. Because the wall divides their property, it seems only fair that they mend it together. However, the narrator is protesting against mending the wall at all. He questions whether they need the wall—a wall is helpful to keep in cattle, but neither of them have cattle. One grows pine, and the other grows apple trees. Because it is unnecessary, the narrator calls the wall-mending ritual a "game."

The neighbor will not hear him, however, simply doggedly repeating a saying he heard from his father: "Good fences make good neighbors."

The narrator wishes he could get his neighbor to think and ask questions:
I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
"Why do they make good neighbours?..."

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