In Robert Frost’s poem, “Mending Wall,” the narrator describes an annual meeting between himself and the neighboring farmer in which the two walk the respective sides of their shared border wall to repair any gaps caused by winter. The wall as a physical bordering agent represents by itself the man-made separation between the two men. However, three specific lines do specifically demonstrate the distance in the neighbor’s relationship as the poem progresses.
In line 15, the narrator remarks, “We keep the wall between us as we go.” Although the wall must be sizable as it is composed partly of “boulders” that require “a spell to make them balance,” the men are still able to communicate through the border to make the necessary repairs. However, the separation described in line 15 does not seem to be situational, but one imposed intentionally to maintain a distance between the two men. Specifically, the phrase “we keep” demonstrates an intentionality and unspoken agreement between the neighbors that one shall not cross onto the other’s property for repairs, pleasantries, or otherwise.
The second and most memorable of lines, line 27, furthers the theme of separation as the neighbor responds to the narrator’s questions with a simple and trite, “Good fences make good neighbors.” The very meaning of the line itself, that a healthy relationship requires physical and purposeful separation, affirms the theme alone. The context of the line, however, also demonstrates a distance between the two neighbors as the narrator is begging an answer from his neighbor and the neighbor’s only response is a repeated, curt, and emotionless line. Such a response causes frustration and confusion in the narrator and thus distances the men in their inability to communicate fully.
Although many lines in the poem allude to the distant relationship of the two neighbors, the final line most demonstrative of a physical and emotional distance in their relationship is line 41, “He moves in darkness as it seems to me.” The line suggests that if the narrator sees the neighbor to be of “darkness,” then the narrator must perceive himself as being of the light. The suggestion that the two men are of two separated planes, one of light and one of dark, necessitates a, at least perceived, physical distance. Furthermore, if one equates darkness with ignorance and light with knowledge, the narrator feels that he is of knowledge, enlightened, and the neighbor is ignorant, willingly loyal to traditions that are no longer relevant. The intellectual and social distance between knowledge and ignorance is large indeed, however, more so is the trap of believing oneself to be of knowledge and another to be of ignorance. The narrator, no matter his correctness, is furthering the distance he questions by positioning his neighbor as wrong and himself as right. Unfortunately, the narrator only escalates the distance by remaining silent and not further communicating with the neighbor, despite his neighbor’s own non-communication.
We know that the two farmers in the poem are walking along either side of the wall which divides their two properties, putting it to rights. The narrator is unsure of what exactly they are walling out, but his neighbor is wedded to the idea of this wall between them. The wall is "between us as we go," and we know it is a wall of some size because some of the bits that fall out of it are the size of "boulders." Therefore, we can assume that there is at least a significant thickness of wall between the men.
The farmers are not too far apart to be able to talk to each other. However, the way the narrator describes his companion—"I see him there"—implies that he is at some little distance, particularly because the narrator says it is as if he is moving "in darkness."
There is also, of course, a significant gulf of difference in attitude between the two farmers. While the narrator does not see any real need for a wall, as there are no cows or other animals to be walled out, the other farmer seems to believe that there is some deeper reason why "fences make good neighbors."
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