True Beliefs Essay, Research Paper
True beliefs
Robert Frost s Minding Wall is written natural, yet there are many things beyond the literal world of the poem that can be taken out of context. The poem is about two neighbors and a wall between them and both of them also have different beliefs on why or why not the wall should be there. This paper will describe both the speaker and neighbor s characters, and also give an interpretation and analysis of a few specific lines from Robert Frost s, Mending Wall poem, Then ending up with an over all analysis of the poem s meaning.
In Frost s poem there are two characters that have a rock wall which serves as their property line. The first character is the speaker, who seems to be kind and has an education, or at least much so than his neighbor. His intelligence is shown through his open-mindedness toward other people s opinions, although he knows that changing his neighbor s beliefs may be impossible. Also he is able to place himself inside his neighbors point of view and this may be where the speaker comes up with the question why fences make good neighbors. The speaker does not believe there is a purpose for a wall between him and his neighbor, the speaker believes that fences, or walls in this case, will create barriers between friendships and also allows for unneeded separation between people. Despite this belief that a wall is unnecessary, he still comes out every year and helps his neighbor mend the wall. The speaker would like to ask his neighbor the question why fences make good neighbors but the speaker wants to hear his neighbor say it himself. The speaker also says if he was building a wall he would like to know what he was walling in or out and to what or whom he needed to take offense to. This is where the speaker is trying to rationalize what purposes a wall would need to be built.
The second character in the poem is the speaker s neighbor, who is more down to earth. He is a decent person but seems to lack the intelligence of the speaker to accept any outside opinions. To prove this point, the neighbor repeats himself over and over by saying, Good fences make good neighbors, and will not to stray from this belief, a belief which came from his father and that he will not accept as being wrong. The reader can tell how devoted the neighbor is to his beliefs by his coming out every spring to fix the wall, unlike the speaker who does it only out of kindness and curiosity.
The neighbor has limited himself to only one opinion, his fathers, and that could show his ignorance. Because the neighbor is unable to consider or listening to what the speaker has to say, he deprives himself of any information that could possibly be more beneficial to himself or others around him. On the other hand, the neighbor could be right with his beliefs, but the only way to know if he is right is when he can consider all angles to a situation, including his neighbor s viewpoint. Then he would have to ask the same question that the speaker does concerning why fences make good neighbors. Maybe the neighbor assumes his father knew the answer to this question. If the neighbor could consider all opinions, the speaker would better understand why he says, Good fences make good neighbors , and if he is unable or unwilling to do so than the reader could infer that the neighbor is mostly dependent on tradition. The passage could depict that the neighbor accepts things as they are told to him and not as they actually are.
The reader may think that the wall between the two neighbors represents more than just a dividing point. It could represent a difference in beliefs between both of the characters. For instance, the speaker is willing to ask why the wall is needed while the neighbor believes what his father has always told him without questioning or asking why a fence makes good neighbors. Also the speaker is able to see many perspectives or opinions on having or not having a wall. For example, he says, Why do they make good neighbors? Isn t it/ Where there are cows? But here there are no cows ( Mending Wall Frost 1191 l. 31-32). The speaker thought about why someone would need a fence and the reason he came up with did not fit the situation. Therefore the speaker concludes with his beliefs that fences do not make good neighbors.
The time period of the annual mending of the wall is in spring, and spring can often alter the way some people react to things. For example, when the speaker is thinking to himself, Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder/ If I could put a notion in his head: apparently there is a drive in the speaker to change his neighbors beliefs (Mending 1191 l. 28-29). The mischief in this line could represent the speakers need for change or trying to change something that seems nearly impossible. Perhaps he sees the old belief of his neighbor as unnecessary, and would like to add his neighbor in a new understanding of his old beliefs. The notion in this line of poetry is the question that the speaker asks himself about why fences make good neighbors. The speaker may think that if he could get the neighbor to listen to this question then maybe it would help him or cause him to rethink his beliefs. Therefore causing his mind to become more open and his beliefs to become more logical.
The poem as a whole could also be about human nature. People have a natural tendency to build up walls. They push people out and shut people off. However, at the same time they do not want to build these walls. People in general want to have a life without walls and want to let people into their lives. Frost may feel a little of both when he writes about the mending of the wall and says, And on a day we meet to walk the line/ And set the wall between us once again (Mending 1191 l. 13-14). The two neighbors meet and come together, yet they push each other away once again. This shows both tendencies to come together and build walls to keep apart. This could be a barrier separating two people or things.
When Frost wrote this poem he may have been trying to send a signal or message to the reader. This message could be to have an opened mind about other people s beliefs. Also he is attempting to make the reader ponder on why, physical or mental, walls are needed and if there needed at all or at least ask why they are needed. The reader may conclude after reading this poem that he or she may need to reevaluate there own beliefs and then reinforce which ones they understand to be true. Now on the other hand the reader may think that Frost wrote this poem for nothing other than the literal meaning that fences do not make good neighbors.
Robert Frost wrote the poem Mending Wall naturally and simple, however it can have many separate meanings derived from the text literally or metaphorically. In my opinion Frost is trying to open the reader s mind in choosing between true beliefs and beliefs that carry no real meaning if the right question is asked. Overall this poem display s the many feats of human nature.
Другие работы по теме:
Chance Essay Research Paper Heroes are a
Chance Essay, Research Paper Heroes are a product of a society?s perception of someone to be praised and adored. The definition of a hero is dependent on that society?s beliefs, laws and taboos.
Things They Carry Essay Research Paper THINGS
Things They Carry Essay, Research Paper THINGS THEY CARRY Through the novel we have understood what O’Brien thinks of true war stories. O’Brien statements about war stories is a true war story is never moral, you can’t tell a true war story. It’s beyond telling. In a true war story, nothing is absolutely true.
The Star Essay Research Paper In Great
The Star Essay, Research Paper In Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, light is used symbolically through the example of Estella. Miss Havisham brings Estella up in the darkness, consequently sheltering her from the true
Tolernce Essay Research Paper Tolrance is the
Tolernce Essay, Research Paper Tolrance is the symapthy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with ones oown beliefs. Intolerance has been going on, all throughout time. Beliefs, religions, races, and even physical appearance all have intolerance twards them.
Huck Finns Real Father Essay Research Paper
Huck s True Father In Mark Twain s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn young Huck seems to have two fathers. Pap, his biological father, and Jim, the runaway slave who befriends Huck and acts the way a real father should.
My Love Essay Research Paper You are
My Love Essay, Research Paper You are my everything My one true love My heart will sing If we can stay forever in love When I first laid eyes upon you My jaw dropped
Forgotten Essay Research Paper ForgottenThe true meaning
Forgotten Essay, Research Paper Forgotten The true meaning of most traditional rituals, that I am familiar with, are forgotten and replaced with something distorted. In fact, in the story, ?The Lottery? by Shirley Jackson, the true meaning of the lottery?s ritual is forgotten. But on the other hand, violence still remains a very remembered role in this gruesome lottery.
Stoicism Essay Research Paper Stoicism was the
Stoicism Essay, Research Paper Stoicism was the most influential philosophy in the Roman Empire before Christianity came about. Stoics believed that happiness could not be attained by material things. However, making the right choices and showing wisdom could attain true freedom. They thought that by not giving in to your desires you would be happier than if you did give in to them.
Why Essay Research Paper A true friend
Why Essay, Research Paper A true friend is something that is hard to come by. They have many rare qualities. These qualities are not the same for every person. A true friend can not really be defined because each person has different qualities they look for in a friend.
Know Thyself Essay Research Paper How does
Know Thyself Essay, Research Paper How does one really know themselves? You could recognize the exterior and know your own reflection. Sure you are 6 2 with brown hair and eyes. Not a bad-looking individual. But you are not your physical characteristics but your spiritual ones. If you could look into something and see your internal reflection would you want to? What would you see? What would you learn? What would that something be? What could possibly dig deep into your soul and reveal your innermost person?
Justice Essay Research Paper The concept of
Justice Essay, Research Paper The concept of justness is a subjective reality. Justice is not present in any one person, justice appears to be present only in consensus. There is no just,
Alice GerstenbergS Overtones Essay Research Paper In
Alice Gerstenberg?S ?Overtones? Essay, Research Paper In Alice Gerstenberg?s ?Overtones?, she presents two deceitful women, both insanely envious of the other, who meet one day over coffee. Two other actors living out their true feelings and being honest show the jealous, rude, but truthful, side of each of the women.
Rene Descartes The Search Of Knowledge Essay
, Research Paper As I sit and ponder how I am going to write this paper, it accurse to me that I may not be writing this paper at all. How, I ask myself, can this be possible? I can feel the keys under my fingers, hear their distinct clicks as I press them, and I can see my writing on the screen. Yet all of these things are sensory based, and I wonder if my senses can be trusted as certainty.
Him Essay Research Paper I think about
Him Essay, Research Paper I think about him day and night The though won’t go away And, oh, how I would hold him tight every second of the day He is perfect, that is true, not an average me or you
Meditation I Rene Descartes Essay Research Paper
Meditation I In Meditation I, Rene Descartes, talks about beliefs that he believed were true, but were those of falsehood. He also talks about deception and how he is always being deceived in the world. Rene, talks about getting rid of his worries and living peacefully in this article. He does this by justifying some of his beliefs that are false.
Bless Me Essay Research Paper Bless me
Bless Me Essay, Research Paper Bless me, Ultima Essay What is faith? Does everyone have faith? Is faith believing in something you haven?t seen but you think is true? All of these questions have
Bacteria Essay Research Paper True cells
Bacteria Essay, Research Paper True cells with a wall, membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes and DNA. No distinct nucleus DNA not incorporated in chromosomes but comprising a single, circular strand Bacteria
Untitled Essay Research Paper In the novel
Untitled Essay, Research Paper In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the author comments onlife. Specifically, Harper Lee comments on racism and true courage. Racism is the first subject that the author comments on. It is obviousfrom her writing that she feels racism is that it is wrong. This is displayed inseveral ways.
Parapsychology Paper Essay Research Paper Parapsychology is
Parapsychology Paper Essay, Research Paper Parapsychology is another word for paranormal or out of this world happenings. I do not believe in most forms of ESP or Extrasensory Perception. Clairvoyance is one form that I believe in, to an extent.
True Believers Essay Research Paper In response
True Believers Essay, Research Paper In response to problems surrounding the ascription of beliefs, Daniel Dennett developed his essay True Believers, where he outlined an intentionalist theory. My intent in this paper is to explain his ideas and defend on of his presuppositions, namely, that most of what people believe is true.
Areopagitica By Milton Essay Research Paper What
Areopagitica By Milton Essay, Research Paper What is the meaning of virtue? Milton answers this question in his speech Areopagitica. Milton will dicuss his meaning of virtue and show his anger at
Critical Lens Essay Research Paper Critical Lens
Critical Lens Essay, Research Paper Critical Lens: Loyalty is the test of a true friendship A true friendship is filled with though times, during these times loyalty is expressed and you learn who your true friends are. Life is all about ups and downs, the highs are high but the lows are even lower. Friends are the only things close enough to hold your feet to the ground and their loyalty is the sobering force in an otherwise hectic world.
True Friendship Essay Research Paper True FriendshipBut
True Friendship Essay, Research Paper True Friendship But not us! An why? Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that s why. (Page 14) This quote came from Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Lennie and George can trust and depend on each other because they are true friends. George is the smart, sophisticated and reliable one of the two.
Create Your Own Truth Essay Research Paper
Jenica Antonellis 11-20-00 IS101, Dr. Dean Walton Quiz #1 3.) The statement, “I create my own truth. What I believe to be true is true for me” is based on the illogical belief that all truth is subjective and that thinking something is true makes it true. There are many people who hold that view, and maybe some truths are subjective, but that doesn’t mean that people go around creating their own truths.
Annabell Lee Essay Research Paper In the
Annabell Lee Essay, Research Paper In the poem Annabell Lee the poet Eggar Allen Poe brings out the theme that true love will never die. This is a poem that is timely in its relevance. There are few
I Love You Essay Research Paper I
I Love You Essay, Research Paper I Love the way you hold me, When I have no one to turn to. I love how you always convince me Your love is so true. I love the way you make me laugh
Country Music Essay Research Paper Country MusicToday
Country Music Essay, Research Paper Country Music Today, many people in the United States listen to country music. People have almost always listen to this type of music, from early rebels, to the families of today. The topic of true country music usually remains the same in all songs. The country atmosphere is more family oriented and provides children and all people with good role models.
Alwayz And Forever Essay Research Paper Alwayz
Alwayz And Forever Essay, Research Paper Alwayz and Forever in my heart you will stay. My love for you grows with each passing day. Always and Forever I will remain faithful and true.
How Do I Maintain True Friendship Essay
?, Research Paper “How Do I Maintain True Friendship?” Making friends for a lot of us comes naturally, but maintaining these friendships may become somewhat difficult. This is because true friendship cannot survive without these three aspects: Love, Respect and Honesty. If any of these aspects are lacking in the friendship, it will slowly disintegrate.
Freedom Essay Research Paper What Price Freedom
Freedom Essay, Research Paper What Price Freedom? What does it mean to be “American?” What makes it “American?” And how does it make us “American?” American stands for the freedom, the beliefs, as well as the people that come from this great nation. The beliefs of this great nation speak every language. These beliefs stretch from the furthest beaches of Africa to the city life of New York.
Truth And Belief Essay Research Paper Truth
Truth And Belief Essay, Research Paper Truth and Belief James is a believer in the pragmatic theory of truth. He draws a relationship between the good and the true. The true is not an separate entity from good, but is one of the species of good.
Love Poems Essay Research Paper All That
Love Poems Essay, Research Paper All That You Are by Steven Duke Poem No. 41993 Everything that you are, Makes me wonder how it’s true, That I?ve found everything I have,
Antigone Essay Research Paper Lifes many ups
Antigone Essay, Research Paper Life?s many ups and downs leads to many options There are many decisions you will need to make in life. Decisions such as deciding whether or not to make a sacrifice for someone. Every day there are many sacrifices being made. In fact life requires sacrifices to be made. Sacrifices such as dying for someone or choosing something instead of another.