MENDING WALL

CLASS 8- AUGUST 2021

WRITING CONTENT

WORDS TO EXPLORE

(Do it in the notebook creatively)

Make Word Wall (as shown above) for each of the given words:

i) swell ii)yelp iii)gap iv)mend

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

3. Where is the wall? What purpose do you think it serves? Of what materials is
this wall made?

Ans: The wall is on the boundary between two fruit orchards. This wall
serves the purpose of physical demarcation. It acts as the boundary wall
separating one landowner’s land from the other. It is made of stone boulders.
4. Though the narrator gives two reasonable and practical reasons for the
destruction of parts of the wall, he still injects a sense of mystery and magic
into the experience.

a. How does he achieve this in the opening of the poem?

Ans: The poet weaves and maintains an element of suspense from the very
beginning of the poem. He identifies a constant force in nature that doesn’t
seem to like the fence wall in the first place. He uses the sentence ‘something
there is that does not love a wall’ to suggest this. He keeps it open ended that
adds to the mysterious element.

b. Quote a line later in the poem when he returns to this theme.

Ans: “Something there is that does not love a wall, that wants it down”. I could
say ‘Elves’ to him/But it’s not elves exactly.

c. Explain what the poet is trying to convey here through his narrator.

Ans: The poet is trying to reason out to the readers that constructing a wall is
meaningless and goes on to add a mysterious element telling that something
does not love a wall. He intends to bring to light that walls are mere divisions
that set apart one human from another, fostering feelings of exclusion, separation
and difference. Through these lines, the poet playfully builds in a suspense
character. He doesn’t specify it and leaves a lot of scope for the reader to
interpret.

5. What makes the narrator feel at one point that there is really no need, for a
wall between their respective properties? What does he tell his neighbor?

Ans: At one point the narrator feels that there is really no need for a wall
between their respective properties because both the orchards bear different
fruits. The narrator has an apple orchard while his neighbor has only pine
trees. So, the produce of the fields is in itself a boundary. He tells his neighbor
in a light-hearted manner that his apples will not eat the cones under his pine
trees. Moreover, there are no cows in either of their houses. Hence, it is
pointless to build a wall.

6. How does the neighbor respond? What do you think he means by the
statement?
 Ans: The neighbor responds saying, “Good fences make good neighbors”. By
this statement, he refutes the narrator’s suggestion to demolish the wall, not
because he feels it’s a necessity but because the wall has been always there.
He maintains that the annual practice of fencing has been practiced from ages
and should continue to maintain right distance between neighbors because
people fear that familiarity breeds contempt.

Question Bank

1. Explain the significance of the title ‘Mending Wall’. Explain in both literal
and metaphorical sense.
Pointers: suggests the spring mending time – wall already exists – wall is
the manifestation of the emotional barricade – two different perceptions
about the necessity of the wall

2. What are the possible reasons due to which the narrator feels that building
the wall is an unnecessary job?
Pointers: two different farms – apple and pine trees – no cows – speaker
remains unconvinced – old fashioned thoughts

3. How does nature damage the wall?

Pointers: strong wind – flowing water – swollen ground

4. What is the irony in the poem ‘Mending Wall’?

Pointers: He dislikes the presence of wall – but he builds – wall as irony –

as it separates – but brings them annually once.

5. Contrast the character of the narrator and his neighbor in the poem.
Pointers: Two different views – one sticks on the need of wall-other disagrees
– wall acts as barrier for communication – wall also acts and sets limit to
sustain the relationship

Value based question:

Elaborate the idea of the following line in the form of a paragraph writing.
“Good fences make good neighbors.”