Interpretation

In the famous poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost, a central theme is that of social interaction. The speaker of the poem expresses his attempts to talk to his neighbor in the story, hoping for a time consuming conversation to take place, "I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; And on a day we meet to walk the line." (Frost 960) However the wall built between the neighbors seemingly serves as a shield between the two neighbors, and the man opposite the fence can only deliver a one line reply: "Good fences make good neighbors."(Frost 961) Although the fence serves as a barrier, Richard Poirier suggests that the mending wall simutaniously serves as a catalyst for social happenings, "It can be said that restrictions, or forms of it, are a precondition for expression." (Poirier 987)The speaker is then encouraged by his form of restriction to sieze freedom by talking to his neighbor. In his attempts to speak to his neighbor, however, the speaker is shot down with "reiterated assertions of his companion, which are as heavy and limited as the wall itself." (Poirier 987) In the end, the hopes for communications are so little the speaker ends up seeking solace in his own mind my talking with just himself, "So hopeless is this speaker of any response, that all of his talk may be only to himself." (Poirier 988)