最佳答案ConstructingBarriers:AStudyofMendingWall Thepoem“MendingWall”byRobertFrostrevolvesaroundthestoryoftwoneighborswhocometogetheronceayeartorebuildthewallthatsepa...
ConstructingBarriers:AStudyofMendingWall
Thepoem“MendingWall”byRobertFrostrevolvesaroundthestoryoftwoneighborswhocometogetheronceayeartorebuildthewallthatseparatestheirlands,butthissimpleactofreconstructionconcealsamuchdeepertheme.Thispoemisaboutmorethanjustthephysicalwallthattheneighborsrepair,asitexpressesthepsychologicalandculturalbarriersthatpeopleconstruct.Frostusesthewallasametaphorforthebarriersthatpeoplecreatetoprotectthemselvesfromtheunknown.Therefore,thisessaywillexplorethethemesofthepoemandhowFrostusessymbolismtoconveythem.
TheIronyofUnity
Thepoembeginswiththeline“Somethingthereisthatdoesn'tloveawall,”whichimmediatelysetsthetoneofthepoem.Frostinstillsasenseofironyintheopeninglinebecausedespitetheprofessedloveforthewallbytheneighbor,theybothacknowledgethatthewallneedstobemendedyearly.Thisrecurringactofunitycanbeseenasironicbecauseitisanactthatonlyoccursbecausethewallneedstobefixedeveryyear.Therefore,theactofrebuildingthewallisaconstantreminderofdivision,ratherthanunification.
Frostalsousesironywhenhewrites“Oh,justanotherkindofoutdoorgame,Oneonaside.Itcomestolittlemore.”Thislineportraystherebuildingofthewallasagamebutultimatelyconveysthatthegameismeaningless,asitresultsinthesamepartition.Itisalsoironicthatthenarratordescribesthewallassomethingthatdividespeoplewhileparticipatinginanactthatleadstoitsrecreation.Moreover,theline“Wehavetouseaspelltomakethembalance”addsasenseofmysticismtothepoem,anditreinforcestheideathatitisnotthewallthatisholdingthemtogether,buttheactoffixingit.
TheSymbolismofBarriers
Duringthepoem,Frostusesthewallasaphysicalrepresentationofthebarriersthathumansconstruct.Thephysicalwallisnothingbutasmallpileofstonesthatseparatesthepropertiesoftwoneighbors.Thiswall,however,representsthepsychologicalbarriersthatexistbetweenhumanbeings.Frostwrites“HeisallpineandIamappleorchard.Myappletreeswillnevergetacrossandeattheconesunderhispine”toemphasizethedividebetweentheneighbors.Thisquoteshowshowdifferenttheyare,andhowtheirdifferentbeliefspreventthemfromconnectingwitheachother.Thewallthattheyhavebuiltisnothingmorethanaphysicalrepresentationoftheimaginarywallsthatpeoplehaveerectedintheirminds.
Frostmakesthepointthatpeoplecreatebarrierstomaintaintheirsenseofsuperiority,erectingwallsthatpreventothersfromcommunicatingorlearningabouttheircultureandbeliefs.Thisbarriercreatesasenseoflimitationthatpreventsprogressorgrowth.Indeed,thenarratortellsusthatthewallis\"notofwoodsonlyandthewallismorethanjustaphysicalconstruction.Rather,itisamanifestationofthehumanpsyche,builtonmisperceptions,fear,andprejudice.\"
BreakingDowntheWall
Thepoemconcludeswiththenarratorquestioningtheneedforsuchawallandquestioningifhecaneverconvincehisneighborthatitisunnecessary.Frostwrites\"Hemovesindarknessasitseemstome,Notofwoodsonlyandtheshadeoftrees.Hewillnotgobehindhisfather'ssaying,\"herethenarratorconveysasenseoffrustration.Itappearsthattheneighborisunwillingtoconsideranyotherperspectiveandistrappedbytheattitudeofthosewhoprecededhim.Thissuggeststhattheneighborisnotinterestedinmovingbeyondhisbeliefsandwaysoflife.Therefore,Frostusesthewallinthepoemtosymbolizethisresistancetochange.
In'MendingWall,'Frostoffersacriticalcommentaryontheimportanceofmutualrespectandunderstanding.Thebarriershumanityconstructsareoftenfarfrom-insurmountable,buttheyexistbecauseofourbiasesandpreconceptions.Frostusesthewallinhispoemasametaphortoamplifythepsychologicalandculturalbarriersthatdivideindividuals.Andbyprovokingthereadertoquestiontheirassumptions,Frostencouragesthemtobreakdownwalls,andthissymbolizesasteptowardscreatingaharmonioussociety.
RobertFrost's\"MendingWall\"isapoemwhosethemeismuchgreaterthanthephysicalwallbetweentwoneighbors.Thewallisasymbolofthedivisionsthatweconstructbothphysicallyandemotionally.Frostusesironyandsymbolismtohighlighttheimportanceofbreakingdownthesebarriers.Thebarrierbetweenindividualsisnotinsurmountable,andinordertoreachamoreharmonioussociety,wemustbreakdownourwallsandembracewhatliesbeyondthem.
