arrier is futile, when he states the metaphor, “Oh, just another kind of outdoor game…it comes to little more.” Another metaphor he used is “Spring is the mischief in me.” Mischief here does not refer to anything relative to evil, but to friskiness that attempts to “put a notion in his head.” Yet this attempt is in unavailing, and the neighbor continues to repair the wall, and in the simile, “Like an old-stone savage armed”, Frost attests that his neighbor has the stride and stubborn ignorance of a caveman. He also uses other devices such as a pun, applied in the line, “And to whom I was like to give offence.” The last word of the line simply emphasizes the importance of the subject, the fence. The most prominent figure of speech, however, is the ironic, “Good fences make good neighbors.” This is completely opposite of the connotation of the poem. Fences do not make neighbors, but strangers that are apathetic towards each other. The neighbor seems to prefer this approach, to eliminate any risks of trespassing or offenses. Yet what the fence really does is hinder the development of friendship. This is comparable to the barriers of bitterness, anger, hate, and fear men put between one another that obstruct love and friendship. The poet also used imagery to appeal to the senses. The puzzling force that abhors the wall “sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, and spills the upper boulders in the sun.” These tactile words create a feeling of coldness on the ground, and warmth produced by the effulgence of the sun. These lines also imply that where the barrier stands, there is darkness and frigid feelings, but where the barrier is not present, there is light and warmth. A line that appeals to hearing is “To please the yelping dogs.” The poet seemingly contradicts himself in this. These dogs are the urge that can only be pleased...
