mending the wall

 

Summary of Mending the Walls by Robert Frost

A stone wall separates the speaker’s property from his neighbor’s. In spring, the two meet to walk the wall and jointly make repairs. The speaker sees no reason for the wall to be kept—there are no cows to be contained, just apple and pine trees. He does not believe in walls for the sake of walls. The neighbor resorts to an old saying: “Good fences make good neighbors.” The speaker remains unconvinced and mischievously presses the neighbor to look beyond the old-fashioned folly of such reasoning. His neighbor will not be persuaded. The speaker envisions his neighbor as a holdover from a justifiably outmoded era, a living example of a dark-age mentality. But the neighbor simply repeats the proverb.

Frost begins the poem by pointing out a mysterious force that ‘doesn’t love a wall’. The examples that follow suggest that the mysterious force is mother nature. The brutal winter causes ‘the frozen-ground-swell under it’, resulting in gaps that allow ‘two [to] pass abreast’. Nature’s act of destruction ironically creates the possibility for two companions to ‘pass abreast’ in the form of a gap

Frost then distinguishes hunters as another force that destroys walls. The hunter’s purpose for dismantling the wall is purely out of self-interest – they want to lure a ‘rabbit out of hiding’ to feed their barking dogs.

The speaker comments that the gaps appear almost magically as nobody ‘has seen them made’. The idea of a mystical force that destroys walls is further developed.

The speaker then meets his neighbour to rebuild the wall together. Although this is a joint effort, the pair ‘keep the wall between’ them as they work. This small detail is important because it signifies both parties’ acknowledgement of the respect for their personal boundaries and property rights.

Another important detail to note is that they each work on ‘rocks that have fallen to each’. Although this is a collaborative effort, they only labour on their side of the wall, showing that each man takes responsibility for his own property.

The idea of a magical or mystical force is developed yet again when the speaker comments on the odd shape of the fallen boulders and how they need a ‘spell to make them balance’. The spell itself employs personification: the speaker demands that the boulders’ Stay where [they] are …’ while being aware that he’s speaking to an inanimate object.

The speaker states that the rough, manual labour wears their ‘fingers rough’. This situation could be considered ironic since the act of rebuilding the wall is slowly wearing the men down.

This section of the poem begins with the speaker expressing his curiosity about the purpose of the wall. He then gives reasons why they ‘do not need the wall’. His first reason is that he has an ‘apple orchard’, whereas his neighbour has pine trees, meaning that his apple trees will never steal the cones from the pine tree. The speaker’s perspective can be seen as potentially self-centred because he doesn’t consider that maybe his neighbour wishes to keep his garden separate to maintain his individuality.

The neighbour responds simply with the traditional adage that ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’ The speaker doesn’t seem to be satisfied with this response, and he goes on to brainstorm an explanation to change his neighbour’s mind. The speaker further argues that there aren’t any cows to cross onto each other’s property. He then considers that the existence of the wall may ‘give offence’ to someone.

The speaker goes full circle and returns to the first line of the poem, ‘Something there is that doesn’t love a wall’. It can be said the speaker isn’t convinced by his own arguments and resorts to that seemingly unexplainable force. He considers that maybe ‘elves’ are the force destroying the walls but then dismisses this idea because he wants his neighbour to see it ‘for himself’. It seems that the speaker has come to the realisation that he can’t change a persons’ perspective of the world.

Lines 39–45

In the final section of the poem, the speaker observes his neighbour working and tries to understand who he is. It seems that the speaker thinks his neighbour is ignorant and backwards as he describes him as an ‘old-stone savage’. He sees his neighbour as being in literal and metaphorical ‘darkness’ because he can’t think for himself and won’t abandon ‘his father’s saying’.

After all of the elaborate arguments presented by the speaker, the poem ends quite simply with the adage, ‘Good fences make good neighbours’.

 

Class 12 New Notes Opt. Eng.

1. The story "Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer" is about.........................

a. sacrifice for wisdom

b. racial discrimination

c. compassion and pity

d. arrogance and pride

Answer:

c. compassion and pity 

2. The story "Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer" is based on................ ......

a. Norse mythology

b. Hindu mythology

c. Buddhist mythology

d. Christian mythology

Answer:

c. Buddhist mythology

3. The new king loved........................

a. singing

b. fishing

c. travelling

d. hunting

Answer:

d. hunting

4. The Buddha was once born as a..............

a. boar

b. rabbit

c. deer

a. leopard

Answer:

c. deer

5. Farmers and merchants devised a plan .........................

a. not to help the king

b. to make a stockade for trapping the animals

c. to be vegetarian

d. to stop farming and doing business

Answer:

b. to make a stockade for trapping the animals

6. ...............herds of deer were captured were trapped inside the stockade.

a. Two

b. Three

c. Four

d. Five

Answer:

a. Two

7. The human king didn't shoot at the Deer Kings because............................

a They ran very fast

b. They were the magnificent animals

c. They were very dangerous

d. He couldn't see them

Answer:

b. They were the magnificent animals

8. .................devised a plan to hold a lottery for being the king's prey.

a. Brahmadatta

b. The leader of the other herd

c. The leader of Banyan deer

d. Farmers and merchant

Answer:

c. The leader of Banyan deer

9. One day, .................. doe came to the other deer king to save her.

a. an old

b. an injured

c. a pregnant

d. a sick

Answer:

c. a pregnant

10. .............was ready to replace the pregnant doe and got ready to be killed.

a. The king of other deer

b. The Banyan deer king

c. No one

d. A bear

Answer:

b. The Banyan deer king

11. As the king, it is.........................

a. one's duty to care for his subjects

b. not necessary to care for his subjects

c. right to seek for his happiness and freedom only

d. unnecessary to take the burden of his subjects

Answer:

a. one's duty to care for his subjects

12. Seeing the nobility and resolute (determined) concern, Brahmadatta announced to............................

a. kill only birds

b. kill only fish

c. kill other four-footed creatures except deer

d. save/care all the four footed creatures, birds and fish

Answer:

d. save/care all the four footed creatures, birds and fish

13. At last, Brahmadatta erected............ to pay homage to the Banyan King.

a. a stone pillar

b. an iron pilar

c. a marble monument

d. a big tower

Answer:

a. a stone pillar 

Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer 

1. Why was the stockade built by the people?

Answer:

The stockade was built by the people because they want to trap the animals for the king to hunt. Actually, the Royal hunt had ruined the farms of farmers and even the important time of the businessmen and farmers. Thus, they proposed to build the stockade for the king.

2. Why were the farmers and businessmen unpleased with the king?

Answer:

The farmers and businessmen were unpleased with the king because they had to join the royal hunt compulsorily and chase the animals for the royal hunt leaving their works undone. Due to the royal hunt, the farms of the farmers were also ruined.

3. What agreement did the kings of two herds make after being trapped inside the stockade?

Answer:

After being trapped inside the stockade, the kings of two herds made an agreement to hold a lottery to decide the turn of the deer to be hunted. In this way, needless injury of the rushing deer could be stopped.

4. What did the pregnant doe request her king for?

Answer:

The pregnant doe requested her king for saving her and her fawn's life. She wanted to deliver her fawn before dying. According to her dying now means killing two lives.

5. What was the reply of her leader to the pregnant doe?

Answer:

The reply of her leader to the pregnant doe was that the law was law and she had to die at any cost.

6. What lesson did the Banyan Deer king teach to the human king?

Answer:The Banyan Deer king taught the wonderful lesson of compassion and pity to the human king. He also taught the duty and responsibility of the king to care for the safety and freedom of his subjects.

7. How did the Banyan Deer king convince the human king and make free to all the animals, birds and fish?

Answer:

The Banyan Deer convinced the human king by stating that he was ready to sacrifice his own life for the sake of his herd, the other herd, all four-footed creatures, birds and fish. After seeing his humility and concerns for all the creatures, the human king declared to spare all the creatures' lives and forsake hunting. He declared to free all the animals, birds and fish. He stated that no one shall be trapped, hunted and killed.

8. What makes the story read like an ancient tale?

Answer:

By an ancient tale, we understand a kind of tale that is based on fiction with fictitious characters whose act reveals moral lessons for all the readers. The story of "Brahmadatta and the Banyan Deer" is an ancient tale (fable) that contains all the fictitious characters, especially humans and animals with a wonderful theme of compassion and pity. Moreover, it is based on the Jatak Katha of Buddhism Mythology and the Buddha himself had incarnated as a deer. The presence of all these evidences in the story make this story read like an ancient tale.

9. What is the moral lesson of this story?

Answer:

The moral lesson of this story is the duty and responsibility of the king towards his citizens. The story reveals the fact regarding the duty of the king. Every king should always be ready to take care of his citizens and protect them from harm. 

In a similar way, all living beings should have qualities of compassion and pity for their happy survival.

10. Why do you think the Buddha was born as a deer?

Answer: I think the Buddha was born as a deer because he wanted to teach human beings the lessons of compassion, kindness, non-violence and harmony to ensure the existence of all beings harmoniously.

Describe Cordelia street where Paul lived.

Answer: Cordelia Street where Paul lived is located in the state of Newark in America.  It was a very dignified street where all the houses were the same.  There lived middle-class merchants with their large families and children.  All the children went to a Christian school.  Paul's house was next to the Cumberland minister's house.  Paul always hated his street.

5. Describe Paul's activities in New York.

Answer: After fleeing to New York along with stolen money, he buys various essential things for himself. He buys different types of clothes, shoes, hats, bags and jewellery.  He also buys a gun.  Next, he moves to Waldorf hotel and books a room for himself on the eighth floor.  He spends the rest of the day sightseeing in New York and then heads to a grand dinner.

He is satisfied to see other people in the restaurant not talking to any of them.  Paul enjoys himself a lot and feels himself as he is a part of New York society and loves knowing that his clothes help him fit in.  The next day, Paul meets a Yale University college student at the hotel and the two spend the whole night on the town.  He spends his seven days happily in New York.

6. How did Paul end his life and why?

Answer: Paul ended his life by jumping in front of arriving train on the train track. He committed suicide because he was fed up with his boring life.  He was fed up with his monotonous school, home and the same street where the middle-class people lived.  He desired to live a luxurious life but his dream remained unfulfilled.  Therefore, he killed himself when his expectations were not met.

7. What did Paul do just before jumping/dying?

Answer: Before jumping onto the train track, Paul buried a red carnation under the snow.  He fell asleep for a while.  His teeth were chirping.  On hearing the sound of the train, he jumped in front of the moving train and ended his life.

8. What is the setting of the story?

Answer: The setting of the story mainly refers to the time and place where events of the story take place. Here in this story, we find the setting of Newark, America and different other places as Paul's school named Pittsburg High School, his home, Opera House, his company, railway track and New York City. But the story does not explicitly mention the time (year, historical period) of this story.

9. What is the main theme of the story?

Answer: The main theme of this story is isolation and ambition. This story has presented Paul's isolation due to his boring and monotonous life in most places of Pittsburgh. His ambition is quite high and he desires to be part of standard living style where money plays a very vital role. His hatred towards middle-class people can be easily in the story. In the present time, most youngsters run after money and standard living forgetting reality. Due to their high ambition, they seem alienated and depressed and commit very bad deeds in society. 

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS OF  Paul's Case 

1. Who is the central character in the story?

a. Paul

b. Opera singer

c. Edward

d. Yale student

Answer: Paul

2. Why was Paul suspended from school?

a. He teased a girl.

b. He was morally corrupt.

c. He showed the attitude of defiance and revulsion(disgust/hatred) to teachers.

d. He attached the teacher.

Answer: c. He showed the attitude of defiance and revulsion(disgust/hatred) to teachers.

3. What job did Paul do at the opera (theatre)?

a. As an actor

b. As a security guard

c. As a ticket seller

d. As an usher

Answer: d. As an usher

4. How much money did Paul steal from his new company?

a. $2000

b, $3000

c. $1000

d. Large sum of money

Answer: c. $1000

5. What was the name of Paul's school?

a. Pittsburg High School

b. Yale High School

c. Ohio High School

d. Washington High School

Answer: a. Pittsburg High School

6. What was the problem with Paul?

a. Stealing money

b. High ambition for glamorous life

c. Being suspended from school

d. Quarrel with father

Answer: b. High ambition for glamorous life

7. How did Paul end his life?

a. Jumped from the bridge

b. Drowned into the river

C. Drank poison

d. Jumped into the train track

Answer: d. Jumped into the train track

8. Which of the following is not true about Paul?

a. He was tall.

b. He was very thin.

c. He had a narrow chest.

d. He was very talkative

Answer:d. He was very talkative