“Something there is that does not like a wall” Introduction Throughout the poem, we witness an innocent walk of two farmers. Although they hardly ever speak, the poetic devices make it obvious that the neighbors partake not only in mending a wall but also in a thought-provoking discussion and are a part of all-encompassing opposition against the backdrop of mystery and fantasy. The oxymoron “Something there is that does not like a wall” (line 1) introduces the idea of some strange force, thus leaving the reader fixated on unraveling the mystery (Frost 612). The paradoxical concept that an inanimate “something” could dislike an ordinary object becomes a potent tool of securing the reader’s attention. The next lines gradually unveil the character of this force by personification as it “sends the … swell” (line 2), “spills the upper boulders” (line 3), and “makes gaps” (line 4) (Frost 612). Apart from the atmosphere of mysticism, the writer creates a playful mood by comparing mending to an outdoor game (line 21), the stones they pick up – to loaves and balls (line 17) and personifying the trees (lines 25, 26) (Frost 612). Second, the writer resorts to the repetition of entire phrases as a device to help him build a framework for the above-mentioned discussion. By doubling “the wall between us” (lines 14, 15), the writer marks a big divide, both physical and emotional (Frost 612). The ambiguous “Something there is that does not like a wall” (lines 1, 35) by the speaker and straightforward “Good fences make good neighbors” (lines 27, 45) by his speaking partner are placed at intervals with the second one echoing the first one twice (Frost 612-613). This tentative repetition subtly leads us to the realization that the men are, in fact, opponents. Their outlooks are additionally clarified by a simile that compares the neighbor to a savage (lines 38-40) and therefore reveals a difference in values: progressive and conservative (Frost 613). On balance, the discursive nature of the poem lends itself to a discovery guided by the author via repetition and comparison, and the air of playfulness pervades the first part of it. Metaphor Being an implicit comparison, a metaphor enables a writer to highlight an object’s or idea’s quality through an unobvious match and thus to draw on the effect of unexpectedness. The metaphor “wall” is an axis the poem revolves around. Its potential has been thoroughly explored by numerous literary critics, Jerry Flexer being the one whose interpretation seems to be precise and exhaustive. He states that “wall” can be understood as “a barrier to social interaction, connection, and friendship” (Flexer par. 2), “an entrenched belief in a tradition… that inhibits a new approach to a situation” (Flexer par. 3) and “a barrier to enlightened behavior and expanded awareness of self” (Flexer par. 4). Taking this into account, the following passage is primarily dealing with a few peculiarities of the usage of this metaphor rather than restating the well-known. “Mending wall” presents an interesting case of a metaphor tending to a symbol. Unlike a symbol, though, it shares a number of features with its denotata – “personal boundaries” and “psychological barriers.” Never