Mending Wall by Robert Frost

 

Mending Wall

-Robert Frost

Type of poem: dramatic monologue/ blank verse Speaker: a farmer Setting: a. Place: New England, USA   b. Time: Spring season Themes: tradition vs. change, nature vs. human effort, role of boundries in human life, separation and isolation

 

"Mending Wall" by Robert Frost is a poem about two neighbours who come together every year to repair a stone wall that separates their land. The speaker questions why they need the wall, as there is no real reason for it. Nature keeps breaking it down, and their lands do not have animals that need to be kept apart. However, the neighbour insists on rebuilding it, believing in the old saying, "Good fences make good neighbours." The speaker sees the wall as unnecessary and outdated, while the neighbour sticks to tradition without questioning it. The poem explores the idea of barriers between people, whether they bring people closer by setting clear boundaries or create unnecessary divisions.

Themes

a.     Old vs. new ideas – The speaker questions the need for the wall, while the neighbour follows tradition without thinking. This shows the conflict between change and tradition.

b.    Separation and isolation – The wall represents how people keep themselves apart, even when they don’t have to.

c.      Nature vs. human effort – Nature keeps breaking the wall, which suggests that dividing people is unnatural.

d.    Lack of understanding – The speaker and the neighbour see things differently, showing how people sometimes fail to understand each other.

Questioning rules – The poem encourages thinking for oneself instead of blindly following old beliefs.

MCQs

1.     What do the neighbours do every year in the poem?

a.     Plant trees together

b.    Repair the stone wall between their lands

c.      Go on a hunting trip

d.     Exchange gifts

2.     What natural forces break down the wall?

a.     Rain and snow

b.     Wind and earthquakes

c.      Frost and yelping dogs

d.     Fire and floods

3.     What does the speaker think about the wall?

a.     It is necessary to keep peace

b.     It is useless and unnatural

c.      It is too weak to stand

d.     It should be made taller

4.     What phrase does the neighbour keep repeating?

a.     "Walls keep people apart."

b.    "Good fences make good neighbours."

c.      "Nature knows best."

d.     "A strong wall is a safe wall."

5.      Why does the neighbour believe in keeping the wall?

a.     To mark property lines

b.     To keep animals in

c.      Because his father taught him to

d.     To stop strangers from entering

6.     What does the wall symbolise in the poem?

a.     Friendship and trust

b.    Barriers between people

c.      The strength of nature

d.     A traditional way of farming

7.     How does the speaker feel about the neighbour’s belief in the wall?

a.     He fully agrees with it

b.     He is confused but respects it

c.      He finds it outdated and unnecessary

d.     He is angry and refuses to help

8.     What does the speaker suggest about nature’s role in breaking the wall?

a.     Nature dislikes barriers between people

b.     Nature is weak and cannot stop humans

c.      Nature wants the wall to be stronger

d.     Nature follows human rules

9.     How does the poem end?

a.     The speaker convinces the neighbour to remove the wall

b.    The neighbour insists on keeping the wall

c.      The wall collapses completely

d.     The speaker builds a new wall alone

10.                        What is the main theme of the poem?

a.     The power of nature

b.     The importance of hard work

c.      The struggle between tradition and change

d.     The need for privacy