"Barriers" in Frost's poems

Every poet tends to exhibit a unique style of setting across his or her message, which is what truly enables the readers to appreciate the message that the poet is attempting to express through the poem. Frost, too, conveys his message to his readers in a certain style, a style that is symbolic yet plain. In Mending Wall, Frost’s main aim has been to get into focus the purpose of barriers in everyday life. Frost has, through the use of barriers, conveyed the message of togetherness and harmony in this poem.
The blank verse of the poem, being the first feature that strikes a reader, gives emphasis to the simplicity of the manner in which Frost is attempting to convey his message. The poem begins on a note of uncertainty where the poet is fiddling with the thought of “something”, something that is not certain but it does exist because it is ‘something’. The casual conversational tone in which the poet communicates his thoughts to the readers allows the readers to indulge into the poem effortlessly. The conversational tone also provides the poem a realistic effect. In the beginning, the poet emerges to be fantasizing and not stating since he is not sure about the “something” he is discussing about. Hence apart from the note of uncertainty, a tone of fantasy is also established here. This “something” interests the readers and they are hence drawn into the poem with an expectation to find an answer to it. The powerful impact of “something” is clearly brought out in the next line where it breaks the wall and “spills the upper boulders in the sun”. The wall here symbolizes a barrier and thus, this “something” is clearly shown to be a rival of barriers of any sort. The fact that this something “makes gaps even two can pass abreast” further highlights its dissimilarity with a wall or a barrier which never brings two people closer. A tone of intimacy is injected by the impact of the “something” here since it brings two people together. The readers here get a fair idea that this “something” could be a human quality that does not believe in barriers and is present somewhere deep inside every human. Since the “hunters” leave “not one stone on a stone”, they probably symbolize the cluster of people against barriers or walls. The fact that “hunters” have been used to symbolize the people against barriers emphasizes upon the strengths and abilities of the people who are against barriers. The fact that the poet has “come after them and made repair” reflects that he does not belong to this cluster, since he does not support the people who staunchly do not believe in barriers. The fact that no one has seen or heard the gaps in the walls made, takes the readers back to the very first line where the poet was fantasizing with “something”, as here something seems to have created gaps in walls but nobody is sure about it. This verifies the poet’s earlier statement that “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall” because it is due to the continued existence of this “something” that the gaps are created in walls “at spring mending-time”. This in turn brings out the suppressed presence of the human quality that is against barriers of any sort.
To a modern reader, the existence of a wall or a barrier between the poet and his neighbor brings out the differences between them, which they perhaps try to overcome by a “wall”. Their desire to keep the wall between them stands in perfect contrast with the ideas of togetherness and peace earlier provoked by the “something”. But then again, the intricacy that they have to face in maintaining the barrier between them itself brings out the deep presence of the “something” “that doesn’t love a wall”. The fact that they have to use a spell to make the boulders balance symbolizes that they have to make efforts beyond their natural selves to maintain that barrier between them and hence indicates that deep down they too possess a humane quality that opposes barriers of any sort and believes in togetherness. But despite all this and despite the ‘wearing out of fingers’, the poet and his neighbor still keep the wall between them. One explanation for this could be that through time and experience, they have comprehended the need of barriers between them, not to grow apart but probably to maintain a healthy distance to evade tribulations. But at the same time, the fact that the poet’s neighbor is unreasonably maintaining a distance where it is not required, “He is all pine and I am apple orchard”, contradicts the earlier notion that they are attempting to maintain a healthy distance. This further reflects that the neighbor is rather obsessed with the wall and never tends to question the purpose of its existence. Although the poet does not seem to rebel against the presence of a barrier where it is needed, but the idea of a an optional barrier appears useless to him and so does it to the readers. The uselessness is emphasized upon when the poet questions the obligation for “good neighbors”. Here the poet appears to be exasperated for not being able to make his neighbor understand the needlessness of a barrier where it is not required and this gives a touch of realism to the poem. Thus here, through a questioning tone, the poet has efficiently brought out the worth as well as the worthlessness of barriers in everyday life. The manner in which the poet considers what he is “walling in” or “walling out” has a great impact and forces the readers too to think on these lines. The building of a barrier between two people could be perceived as walling in separation, differences and distances and walling out togetherness, love and peace and losing them forever. The manner in which the poet speculates whom he could offend by not building the wall brings out his fear of going against the society and perhaps that is the reason why he or anybody else ends up building the wall despite knowing deep down that “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall”. Hence, the poet is going against his inner instincts and following the much-followed conception of barriers. This reflects that barriers between people cause them to build a barrier between their true selves and the selves they are with the world. Thus, the poet is trying to convey that a barrier not only separates people, but it is also the root of the loss of the true selves of the people who are on either side of the barriers. Here, the readers realize that the poet’s neighbor’s earlier claim that “Good fences make good neighbors” is acceptable to a certain extent and not beyond that because fences not only separate people but also cause them to lose their true identity. But, despite all this, the manner in which the poet’s neighbor is keen on having the wall like “an old-stone savage armed” reflects upon the actuality that “He moves in darkness, not of woods only and the shade of trees”, but the darkness of ignorance and irrational beliefs. Here, we observe a stark contrast between the poet and his neighbor. Although both of them follow the concept of barriers, the poet is open to all thoughts and thus questions the validity of walls or barriers between people. The neighbor on the other hand is obstinate and rigid and has probably lost touch with his humane quality that believes in togetherness and love. But at the same time, the poet is a representation of every man in humanity because even though following the concept of barriers, each person is deep down aware of the existence of “something” inside of them “that doesn’t love a wall”. The poet provides a substantial reason for his neighbor’s obsession for barriers by making the readers aware of the fact that “He will not go behind his father’s saying.” This reflects upon the fact that although, at times, barriers are useless and in fact damaging but they are only a part of humanity because of the ignorance of the presence of “something”, due to irrational beliefs. Here the poet is in some way mocking at the outlook of his neighbor. The poem ends with the thought “Good fences make good neighbors” which leaves the readers musing upon the worth and the worthlessness of barriers in everyday life.
The poet has beautifully conveyed through the use of barriers, the uselessness and the necessity of barriers and brought forth the importance of love and togetherness. The poet has further established, that at times, barriers result in the loss of “something”, a human characteristic that is a part of all humans and thus the loss of one’s true identity. Frost has thus forced the readers to not only question but also contemplate the existence of barriers in everyday life.