The self-imposed walls that limit human contact are a commonly understood concept in "The Mending Wall." In the poem, the speaker's neighbor keeps pointlessly erecting a wall that, rather than benefitting anybody, harms their land. Nonetheless, the neighbor is tenacious in its upkeep.
By comparison, the speaker lacks conviction. It is clear from the beginning that he does not want to build a wall, but his lack of effort leads to the same result as his neighbor's futile action: both parties end up frustrated. Even so, the speaker maintains a sense of justice by letting his neighbor know what happened to the ball of mud that was used to fill in the ditch after it was thrown over the wall.
Finally, the speaker reveals another aspect of human nature when he says that he will throw another stone at the wall because there might be someone out there who would enjoy this game.
In conclusion, "The Mending Wall" is about two people who are separated by a wall who feel compelled to communicate with each other despite their inability to do so. One person is just and lets his neighbor know that he is satisfied with the outcome of the matter; the other person is less righteous but still tries his best to mend the wall.
"Mending Wall" is a poem that gives two contrasting viewpoints on maintaining boundaries between people. Every neighbor has a distinct point of view. One neighbor desires a visible line to distinguish their property borders, while the other does not. These are called "the mending wall" and "the dividing wall". The term "mending wall" refers to a barrier that separates two properties or districts. It creates a border between them for identification purposes.
The dividing wall is one that completely separates two properties, such as a fence. This division is clear and there are no doubts about which property belongs to whom. A property owner may choose to label the wall with names or flags to identify its district.
The mending wall is used when there is doubt about property lines. The poet in this case wishes to show that even though there is a dividing wall, people should not be afraid to interact with their neighbors. They should instead learn about each other's views and respect those differences.
This poem is written from the perspective of one who wants to maintain the wall because they are afraid of what might happen if it was removed. They believe that life would become too difficult if everyone were to think the same way.
However, the next-door neighbor believes that walls should be torn down because they are outdated and prevent interaction between people.
The speaker of the poem "Mending Wall" continues to assist repair the wall even if he recognizes he disagrees with its presence. The speaker changes throughout the poem. At first, he is angry at the wall for dividing his property and expressing his jealousy of other people's relationships. But by the end, he realizes that the wall has become a part of his life and wants to help maintain it.
One irony of this poem is that although the speaker believes that the wall should not have been built, he comes to accept it as part of his world. He starts out feeling guilty for enjoying the beauty of the garden when others could not, but ends up respecting the work that went into creating it.
Another ironic thing about this poem is that it was written by an American, Wallace Stevens. He was a famous poet in the early 20th century. During that time, Americans were coming across the country and building walls to keep them out of their properties. This poem seems to comment on this phenomenon.
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