Robert Lee Frost belongs to one of the most popular and influential writers of the 20th century. Although his career started only at the age of forty, he made his mark as a poet, becoming more and more widely known until at the end he was the United States’ de facto poet laureate.1
The clarity of Frost’s diction, the colloquial rhythms, the simplicity of his images and above all the folksy speaker- these are intended to make the poems look natural, unplanned. By investing in the New England terrain he revitalised the tradition of New England regionalism. Readers who accepted Frost’s persona and his setting as typically American accepted the powerful myth that this rural part of the country was the heart of America.
Among the major concerns that appear in Frost’s poetry are the fragility of life, the consequences of rejecting or accepting the conditions of one’s life, the passion of inconsolable grief, the difficulty of sustaining intimacy, the fear of loneliness and isolation, the tensions between the individual and society, and the place of tradition and custom.3 The tensions between the individual and society become apparent in Frost’s examination and metaphorical use of geographical boundaries. In this respect, I am going to focus on one of Frost’s most popular poems Mending Wall from the volume of poems called North of Boston (1914) and a more less known poem Trespass from A Witness Tree (1942).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Theme of Boundaries in the Poetry of Robert Frost
2.1. The Mending Wall
2.2. Trespass
3. Conclusion
4. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this essay is to analyze Robert Frost's metaphorical use of geographical boundaries to explore the complex tensions between the individual and society, as well as the inherent fragility of human intimacy and isolation.
- The role of tradition and custom in individual life.
- The psychological significance of barriers and walls in Frost's poetry.
- Comparative analysis of the poems "Mending Wall" and "Trespass."
- The intersection of personal biography and poetic persona.
- The conflict between the need for privacy and the desire for social connection.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. Mending Wall
Mending Wall is the opening poem of Frost's second volume, North of Boston. Its imagery represents quintessentially New England, his adopted home where Frost and his family moved to after his father’s death. In Mending Wall, Frost personifies the individualism of American culture, including the nuances of xenophobia and the New England restraint.
The poem deals with two neighbours, who built up a new wall at every year, although, as the narrator suggests, this would not be necessary. Before describing the mending of the wall, the narrator opens with reflections on forces that don’t love walls: frost which makes the stones in walls spill in a pleasant tumble, and the crude disregard of hunters who run with nasty dogs. The gaps with which he is concerned are the kind caused by frost and lead to the engaging task of restoration that he shares with the neighbour.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground swell under it And spills the upper boulders in the sun, And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters do another thing: I have come after them and made repair Where they have left not a stone on a stone,
Both do not know exactly why they build this wall every winter again. When the narrator asks his neighbour for the reason of building the wall he plainly responds “Good fences make good neighbors.” In fact that the neighbour does not give any distinguished reason for his motivation, the reader has, after a first reading of the poem, the impression that the neighbour is limited in his thinking and does not want to avoid the construction of the wall. He also refers to his father whose tradition he adopted and says that he “will not go beyond his father’s saying.”
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides biographical background on Robert Frost, highlighting his early life, influences, and his status as a key figure in American regionalism.
2. The Theme of Boundaries in the Poetry of Robert Frost: This chapter explores the central thesis by examining the metaphorical function of boundaries in relation to individual psychology and social interaction.
2.1. The Mending Wall: This section provides a detailed analysis of the poem "Mending Wall," focusing on the dynamic between the narrator and his neighbor and the conflicting attitudes toward social barriers.
2.2. Trespass: This section analyzes the poem "Trespass," discussing how it addresses boundaries, property, and the speaker’s internal feelings of restlessness and territoriality.
3. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, reflecting on Frost's ambivalence toward boundaries and the human necessity for both privacy and social connection.
4. Bibliography: This section lists the primary and secondary sources used in the research.
Keywords
Robert Frost, Mending Wall, Trespass, Boundaries, New England, Individualism, Society, Fences, Isolation, Intimacy, Poetry, Regionalism, Persona, Tradition, Metaphor
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic essay?
The essay explores the theme of boundaries in the poetry of Robert Frost, specifically focusing on how he uses geographical barriers metaphorically to examine the relationship between the individual and society.
Which poetic works are analyzed in the study?
The analysis centers on two specific poems: "Mending Wall" from the volume "North of Boston" and "Trespass" from "A Witness Tree."
What is the primary research question?
The research investigates how Frost’s metaphorical use of boundaries reflects his concerns regarding self-integration into society and the tension between individual security and human connection.
What methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, closely reading the selected poems to interpret the speaker's motivations, the symbolic nature of walls, and the biographical context of the poet.
What is addressed in the main body of the text?
The main body examines "Mending Wall" and "Trespass," detailing the speaker's interactions with neighbors and trespassers to illustrate the psychological and social implications of property and distance.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Robert Frost, boundaries, individualism, social tension, isolation, and the metaphorical use of property and fences.
How does "Mending Wall" reflect the poet's view on social interaction?
The poem illustrates an ambivalence toward social barriers; while the narrator finds the wall redundant, he recognizes that such boundaries can provide both security and a common activity for neighbors, despite his neighbor's rigid adherence to tradition.
What role does property play in the poem "Trespass"?
In "Trespass," property serves as a catalyst for the speaker’s feelings of restlessness; the boundary of his land is an extension of his own self, leading him to perceive the intruder as an unwanted violation of his personal space.
Why does the author conclude that "fences with gates" might be necessary?
The conclusion suggests that while absolute isolation is not the ideal, human relationships require both the protection of privacy and the openness to receive others, symbolized by a gate.
- Quote paper
- Katrin Gischler (Author), 2004, The Theme of Boundaries in the Poetry of Robert Frost, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/47125
