Robert Frost quote, what would you say that he's saying?

[jswimj]

Hey everyone,
The quote in mending wall "I'd like to know what I was walling in or walling out", I am trying to put into my essay, but I can't write about it in depth because I don't know what to say about it other than it highlights that he doesn't understand the purpose of the wall and how he is surprised about its existence.

Please help!!!

[owidjaja]

Hey everyone,
The quote in mending wall "I'd like to know what I was walling in or walling out", I am trying to put into my essay, but I can't write about it in depth because I don't know what to say about it other than it highlights that he doesn't understand the purpose of the wall and how he is surprised about its existence.

Please help!!!

Hey there,
I'm not studying Robert Frost, but from my ten minutes of background reading on the poem and analysis, you could talk about walls as a motif throughout the poem (considering how the name of the poem is 'Mending Wall') or symbolism- how wall-building could be interpreted as a way to self-confine a person or to assert their stance (e.g. how walls are used to assert what's considered as 'their property').

Remember, these are my initial thoughts since I'm not studying Robert Frost, but I hope this helps!

[prickles]

Hey there,
I'm not studying Robert Frost, but from my ten minutes of background reading on the poem and analysis, you could talk about walls as a motif throughout the poem (considering how the name of the poem is 'Mending Wall') or symbolism- how wall-building could be interpreted as a way to self-confine a person or to assert their stance (e.g. how walls are used to assert what's considered as 'their property').

Remember, these are my initial thoughts since I'm not studying Robert Frost, but I hope this helps!

Definitely some solid ideas here - and yes it can be an extended metaphor/motif. Walls are extremely symbolic of barriers, either self imposed, or constructed between people over time, cultural barriers, so many! Walls have been used in music, poetry, art etc, so is a common symbol.
I would say in this circumstance that the persona is really wondering why they need the wall at all (considering he has apple trees and the other has pine trees or something like that?), and is also looking at the self imposed barriers as a result of preconceived perceptions.
From your explanation, it looks like you are narrowing it down too much, and looking at the meaning just in that phrase, rather than the whole poem (I could be wrong) - try 'zoom out' a bit, and say 'Frost explores the self imposed barriers that the characters establish through the extended metaphor, evident in "insert quote". This phrase is also symbolic of wider society, and how preconceived opinions shape our values of our surroundings". The sentence structure is terrible there, but hopefully you get the idea 
Please reply if it doesn't make sense!

[owidjaja]

Definitely some solid ideas here - and yes it can be an extended metaphor/motif. Walls are extremely symbolic of barriers, either self imposed, or constructed between people over time, cultural barriers, so many! Walls have been used in music, poetry, art etc, so is a common symbol.
I would say in this circumstance that the persona is really wondering why they need the wall at all (considering he has apple trees and the other has pine trees or something like that?), and is also looking at the self imposed barriers as a result of preconceived perceptions.
From your explanation, it looks like you are narrowing it down too much, and looking at the meaning just in that phrase, rather than the whole poem (I could be wrong) - try 'zoom out' a bit, and say 'Frost explores the self imposed barriers that the characters establish through the extended metaphor, evident in "insert quote". This phrase is also symbolic of wider society, and how preconceived opinions shape our values of our surroundings". The sentence structure is terrible there, but hopefully you get the idea 
Please reply if it doesn't make sense!

Hey there,
I was just tossing out ideas in relation to that quote as a food for thought - obviously, I haven't given the time to analyse the whole poem since I'm not studying Robert Frost at school.

But yeah, your analysis/explanation makes sense

[prickles]

Hey there,
I was just tossing out ideas in relation to that quote as a food for thought - obviously, I haven't given the time to analyse the whole poem since I'm not studying Robert Frost at school.

But yeah, your analysis/explanation makes sense

Yup, sorry! I quoted you but was really replying to the OP - I have a bad habit of doing that 
Appreciate your help and enthusiasm on a text you haven't studied 

[jswimj]

Definitely some solid ideas here - and yes it can be an extended metaphor/motif. Walls are extremely symbolic of barriers, either self imposed, or constructed between people over time, cultural barriers, so many! Walls have been used in music, poetry, art etc, so is a common symbol.
I would say in this circumstance that the persona is really wondering why they need the wall at all (considering he has apple trees and the other has pine trees or something like that?), and is also looking at the self imposed barriers as a result of preconceived perceptions.
From your explanation, it looks like you are narrowing it down too much, and looking at the meaning just in that phrase, rather than the whole poem (I could be wrong) - try 'zoom out' a bit, and say 'Frost explores the self imposed barriers that the characters establish through the extended metaphor, evident in "insert quote". This phrase is also symbolic of wider society, and how preconceived opinions shape our values of our surroundings". The sentence structure is terrible there, but hopefully you get the idea 
Please reply if it doesn't make sense!

This is AWESOME!!! I have a really bad habit of narrowing things down to much and it's a real downfall for me in my essays. How are you so good at making it so much more in depth and making it sound really sophisticated?!?!

Thank you!!!