Tony Monroy

Literature 9/28/07

Poetry Analysis

Freedom is one of the fundamental and founding principles of The

United States of America. Freedom is also one of the major themes of

American poetry because of its meaning to America. One of the many

viewpoints of Freedom is individualism, which is that rights, duty, and

freedom originate in the individual. A contradicting viewpoint is that Freedom

is communal meaning that it is not about the individual, Robert Frost in

“Mending Wall” displays that the idea of Freedom is not individualistic rather

it is communal. Similarly, Henry David Thoreau’s “I am a Parcel of vain

strivings tied” illustrates Freedom as limited whereas Wallace Steven’s “Idea

of Order at Key West” presents Freedom as boundless.

Frost’s “Mending Wall” displays the idea of communal Freedom through

the scene where the wall withers away by a nature and a supernatural

presence. “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That sends the

frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boundaries with sun; And

makes gaps even two can pass abreast” (1-4). The wall is withering because

it is not natural for the wall to be there dividing the property. Therefore,

nature itself is tearing down the wall over time because man should not be

divided rather man should live freely with others. In addition, Frost also

displays the idea of communal freedom by the having the wall divide him

from his neighbor and his neighbor’s yard. “ And on a day we meet to walk

the line And set the wall between once again. We keep the wall between us

as we go” ( 13-15). Frost states twice here that the wall is between him and
Tony Monroy
Literature 9/28/07

the neighbor because Frost is emphasizing that the wall divides him from the

neighbor and vice versa. Frost later sates this dividing wall is not needed

because there is nothing on either side of the wall that could escape or

needs containment. “ There where it is we do not need the wall; He is all pine

and I am apple orchard My apple trees will never get across And eat the

cones under his pines” (23-26) The wall is a hindrance instead of being of

assistance. It contains the neighbor in his area where he is free to pursue his

own desires and make his own world, but with the wall intact, the neighbor is

cut off from the rest of the world. Another display of communal Freedom in

Frost’s “Mending Wall” is where the poet considers “Good fences make good

neighbors” (45). Frost considers “ Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it

where there are cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall I’d

ask to know What I was walling in or walling out And to whom I was like to

give offense” (30-34) Again, Frost presents the image of the wall without

purpose.

Thoreau’s “ Parcel” is similar to Frost’s “Mending Wall” by the depiction

of higher powers that render Freedom limited and Man without control over

the world. An example of this is found in lines 7-12 “ A bunch of Violets

without their roots… Encircled by a wisp of straw Once coiled about their

roots…..” Certain laws that represent the limitations of Freedom are binding

the plants that represent people. Thoreau is illustrating that man is not free

to do whatever he/she wants because there are certain higher powers or

laws that govern the world. Furthermore, in lines 13-15 Thoreau illustrates
Tony Monroy
Literature 9/28/07

limited freedom by having the flower plucked from its field and placed in

bouquet. “ A nosegay( flower bouquet) which Time clutched from out Those

fair Elysian fields With weeds and broken stems.” Thoreau is revealing that

man is not entirely free to do what they want because the flower did not

want to be plucked. In addition, the flower has gone from minding its own

business to dwelling with other flowers in the bouquet. Thoreau is using this

image to portray a movement from individualism to being in a communal

situation where although limited freedom still exists. These elements bear a

resemblance to the elements of Frost’s “Mending Wall” where the wall

withers because of its violation upon nature’s laws and the higher force. In

addition the resemblance is found in

In sharp contrast, Steven’s “Idea of Order” presents the idea of

Individualism through