Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it. . . .
And ends:
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."

Robert Frost’s "Mending Wall" contrasts two philosophies through a deceptively simple conversation between neighbors. The speaker questions the necessity of barriers with the line, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” suggesting a natural tendency towards openness and connection. Yet, his neighbor clings to the inherited wisdom that “Good fences make good neighbors.” This refrain signals a preference for clear boundaries as a means of maintaining harmony. The neighbor's reluctance to "go behind his father's saying" reflects a reliance on tradition over introspection. Frost subtly invites readers to ponder whether barriers protect or isolate. The poem’s power lies in its ability to provoke reflection on human relationships, encouraging us to consider the walls, both literal and metaphorical, that we construct in our own lives.