1. Discuss the narrator in "Mending Wall" -who is telling the story and why? What is the narrator's
tone or attitude? Compare and contrast the narrator's point of view about the wall with his
neighbor's. What is the narrator's attitude toward his neighbor? What does the narrator mean when
he says his neighbor "walks in darkness" or compares him to a "stone-age savage"?
The narrator in "Mending Wall" is a farmer who lives in New England and shares a border with his
neighbor. He is telling the story of their annual ritual of repairing the wall that separates their
properties. The narrator's tone or attitude is ironic and questioning. He does not see the need for the
wall, since he has apple trees and his neighbor has pine trees. He thinks that the wall is an outdated
and unnecessary tradition that creates artificial barriers between people. He compares the wall to a
game or a spell that they play or say every spring.
The narrator's point of view about the wall is different from his neighbor's. The narrator believes
that the wall is useless and harmful, and that it prevents friendship and communication. He says that
"something there is that doesn't love a wall" and that "before I built a wall I'd ask to know / What I
was walling in or walling out". He also questions the origin and validity of his neighbor's motto:
"Good fences make good neighbors". The narrator implies that this saying is inherited from his
father and not based on reason or experience.
The neighbor, on the other hand, is stubborn and conservative. He insists on keeping the wall and
repeats his motto without explanation or argument. He does not listen to the narrator's doubts or
jokes, and he does not show any interest in his apple orchard. He is content with his pine trees and
his isolation. The narrator's attitude toward his neighbor is mocking and pitying. He thinks that his
neighbor is ignorant and backward, and that he misses the opportunity to enjoy nature and human
connection. He says that his neighbor "walks in darkness" or compares him to a "stone-age savage"
to suggest that he is blind to the beauty and meaning of life, and that he follows an ancient and
primitive code of conduct.
2. Louise Glück is a poet of the early post-war feminist movement. Her poetry Is often about the
complexity of human relationships (lovers, husbands) c. Deals with aspects of life such as loneliness
and loss
3. Anne Sexton is considered to have been a “confessional” poet. Her poetry Indicates she had a strong
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