Reflection: In "Mending Wall," Robert Frost creates a character who repeats: "Good fences make good neighbors." What do you think he might mean by this? How do you feel about neighbors. Do we need good, strong fences to maintain good, strong relationships with our neighbors? Due Wednesday, September 15, 7:30 a.m.
P.S. Enjoy the polls at the bottom of this page!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I believe the character means that neighbors are meant only to be acquaintances, and the fence keeps them from getting too close. He thinks that since neighbors live next to another by chance and not by choice, they are not meant to be friends.They can still be friendly over the fence, but they will never cross into each others' property and really get to know one another. If neighbors get too close and get into a fight, they will have to see each other the next day and the next, even if they never make up. This is why some people might think they should keep walls up between each other. However, my family and I made friends with our neighbors that just recently moved away. We were at each others' houses often, eating dinner together or just talking. I believe that one should try to get to know their neighbor and take the risk of disliking them. If they don't, they might miss out on the chance to have a great friend. Therefore neighbors should not build fences between them, as the character from the poem believes.
ReplyDeleteI think the character means that you need boundaries with neighbors either literally with a fence or figuratively with mutual terms. I generally like neighbors because you can become great friends with them, but if you have annoying neighbors who have late, loud parties, they become a problem. I think it depends on the neighbors if you need a good fence to be good neighbors. If your neighbors are nosy, it’s best to be polite, but still have a fence. Neighbors who are nice and you never have issues with, you don’t necessarily need a fence be good neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the character means a fence makes a difference when you have neighboors. You do not choose your nieghboors, so it doesn't mean your going to be friends or anything. I believe the fence symbolizes seperation. If you never talk to your neighboors the fence is what keeps them out. So that fence could be like s solid one you can't see through. But if you do decide to talk to your neighboors it could be like a fence with gaps. You talk about some things and other things are behind the fence.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem "Mending Wall," by Robert Frost he creates a character that every spring puts a wall between him and his neighbors and says "Good fences make good neighbors.” What the neighbor means by this is that he wants everyone to respect his boundaries, physically and mentally/ emotionally. My perspective on neighbors is that you can’t help becoming friends with some one that’s lives near you but if you ever get into fights you would still have to see each other wich is very akward. In some ways the neighbor in the poem has the right Idea because he believes that if he never develops a relationship with neighbors they would never disrespect his boundaries. It is much easier to not hate someone if you never get to know him/her. In the poem "Mending Wall," by Robert Frost the fence that he makes symbolizes boudaries.
ReplyDeleteI think what Frost means by this is not to isolate ourselves from our neighbors, but to build a strong relationship with them through respect for privacy and space. Neighbors can make our lives so much better, but there are certain limits that people have when it comes to friendly relationships. Of course, having too much of a limit can't be good either (like a brick wall instead of a fence.) Having a balance of respect and openess with your neighbors will maintain a strong healthy relationship.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the poem "Mending Wall", the character means to be at a distance with your neighbors by saying "good fences make good neighbors”. I also believe when the character talks about the fence he means boundaries. For instance, the character is saying don't cross this line. The point of a fence is to have separation of people’s property. I think neighbors should respect that boundary but get to know there neighbors. I support this because if an accident happened they can trust them to help.
ReplyDeleteI think that when Frost’s character says “Good fences make good neighbors” he means that neighbors should be kind and friendly, however they should also mind their own business. In my neighborhood, almost everyone’s very nice and we all get along. My family is very close with our neighbors, and we’re always at each other’s houses for parties or just to hang out. I do not think that we need strong fences to get along with our neighbors simply because if you’re close with them, you’ll consider them a second family. My neighbors know a lot about us and our family, and I think that the main reason for that is because we don’t put up a fence towards them and are very open.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Frost's character is trying to get out there that everyone needs their space. People need boundaries. Without boundaries, the world would be in complete chaos. I like neighbors, they're there when you need then and I feel safe and secure being surrounded by them. I believe we do need nice, big, strong, fences to maintain a good relationship with our neighbors. My family and I are very close to our neighbors in the back of us. We get along great and they're there if there is ever an emergency. We do have a fence separating our properties, but its more for a sense of privacy and protection, not so much to block other people out. Fences are good, I think, it keeps our lives private and still friendly at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIn "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost he says "Good fences make good neighbors" I think he means that you don't want to get too close with your neighbors but you don't want to be completely distant. I think that this is good because if you get too friendly with a neighbor, something could happen and you have to live next to them and see them. This way if you just are friendly to one another but not over the top, you don't take the chance of a fight and constant disrupption. My neighbors and my family are friends but they don't see eachother every weekend and i think that maintains a good relationship.
ReplyDeleteI think that when Robert Frost says "Good fences make good neighbors" he means that you can have close neighbors, and by neighbors I mean freinds, or peers, but you should also know when to draw a the line between friend and family. That sometimes you need to keep your personal life private, and noone should be in your business, and you shouldn't be in theirs. I agree with this line completley, and I feel its very true. The fact is no neighbor should know your life, better then you do yourself.
ReplyDeleteIn "Mending Wall," Robert Frost's cahracter states that "Good fences make good neighbors." What is meant by this statement is that everyone is entitled to a degree of privacy. Nobody would enjoy a neighbor always being able to see them and knowing what is happening in their daily lives. There is nothing wrong with having close friends, but there is a point where the relationship can become too close. It is important to be able to distinguish between your life and your friends, as friends who know your life too well can create unpleasant circumstances for you. Keeping your life relatively private is crucial to leading an enjoyable life.
ReplyDeleteI believe Frost is saying that while having kind neighbors, everyone needs privacy. Whether he means to build an actual fence between lawns, or just a symbol of having privacy. No one wants to have a neighbor who is too involved and gets into your personal life. You should always have a friendly relationship with your neighbors. If you were to have loud, disrespectful neighbors, maybe building a fence is the right choice for you. People need fences to maintain a strong relationship with neighbors, as there will never be too much involvement. Keeping your life to yourself is important, as no one will cross the line.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen the character says "Good fences make good neighbors", they're trying to say that there needs to be boundaries to have a nice relationship with your neighbor. If their is no boundary, then their is no privacy or trust, and you can't have a good neighbor unless they are trustworthy. I feel that your relationship with your neighbor can go either way. You can have a great neighbor, that you really trust and are close with, or you can have a dishonest and deceitful neighbor that you don't like to have around very often. This all depends on how strong the boundaries or "fences" are.
ReplyDeleteI completly agree with the statement "Good fences make good neighbors". Nobody like a nosy person trying to figure out everything aobut your personal life. You need to have boundaries. You can still ask the neighbor how they are and everything, but don't push to far, or you'll ruin your relationship with them. Nosy neighbors usually aren't that close with that neighbor so the person wouldnt want to tell them anything if they were being nosy. Some neighbors make thin "fences" while others make thicker ones. The thicker ones are the totally unfreindly neighbors who never even say hi to you. The "thin fenced" neighbors are the ones that get way to nosy! I believe that you should have a balance between thick and thin "fences". You can still be freindly without being snoopy.
ReplyDeleteI think that when Robert Frost created a character in "Mending Wall" who repeats:"Good fences make good neighbors", he might mean that if there is a good boundary between neighbors, then they will have a good relationship. If your neighbor has no fence, or no boundary, then they are not respecting your privacy, and are not a good neighbor. I feel that neighbors should definitely be friendly and outgoing, but there is a limit. Just because you live close to one another, doesn't mean a neighbor has the right to pry. If neighbors are good friends and very close with each other, then they don't need to have a good, strong fence because they already have a good relationship without boundaries. But I do believe that many relationships with our neighbors do require a good, strong fence because without one, no one would ever have any privacy.
ReplyDeleteDouglas Harrison
ReplyDeleteThe fence in this statement to me is what gives you your privacy from your neighbors. Your neighbors aren't your roomates and shouldn't be involved with your personal business. Another meaning that I felt that Frost was trying to prove was that we should not just limit our selves to just our one neighbor. Your neighbor is there to be helpful when needed but they should not be the only people you talk to. These are the main meanings I saw in the statement from the poem.
What I think Robert Frost means by this saying its that if you get too close to someone, then you will begin to notice the bad aspects of them more and more. It's good to have a strong fence that lets you keep your boundaries with that person so that you are friends, but they aren't invading your privacy. Although you may be great friends with you neighbors, a too open and friendly relationship can create a possibility of a bad relationship. This saying doesn't just stand for neighbors, it also stands in place for everyone, your relatives, your friends, etc. People want to have their own personal "bubble" where they can have their own privacy. That's why windows take up a small portion of a house.
ReplyDeleteJamie Iaciofano
ReplyDeleteThe meaning of "good fences make good neighbors" is that not everyone in a neighborhood needs or wants to know everyone else's business. Therefore, a fence would symbolize privacy and a separation from others. Not everyone feels the same way about their neighbors though. For instance, in my neighborhood, there are no fences. It doesn't mean that everyone is nice and open though. In my neighborhood there aren't many kids my age and all the adults like to be left alone. I'd prefer to have friendlier neighbors that don't cut themselves off from the rest of the world. In my opinion, we don't need strong fences between our properties to have good neighbors. What makes good neighbors is how friendly they are, or how hospitable they are. A person could have a fence and still want to be friends with the whole neighborhood, while someone else could have no fence at all and still not want anything to do with their neighbors. We don't need fences to make strong relationships with our neighbors, we just need good neighbors to create relationships with.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBrodie Enright
ReplyDeleteThe phrase, “Good fences make good neighbors,” undoubtedly means that unobtrusive neighbors are generally considered a high-quality variation of neighbor. The specified phrase possesses a figurative meaning, in addition to a literal meaning. The literal meaning of the phrase, “Good fences make good neighbors,” is merely that the tangible, inanimate object referred to as a fence creates neighbors which could be considered relatively commendable neighbors. The figurative meaning of the specified phrase constitutes that the Robert Frost, the author of “Mending Wall”, believes that unobtrusiveness and reclusiveness are two desire characteristics of neighbors. My perspective regarding neighbors is exceedingly similar to the perspective of Robert Frost in relation to neighbors, predominately because I consider myself a recluse. However, reclusiveness and unobtrusiveness are not necessary in relation to maintaining positive relationships with neighbors within certain circumstances. Whether or not it is prudent to involve oneself in the personal lives of one’s neighbors depends primarily upon the personalities of the unspecified neighbors. However, it is imperative that economic status, in addition to several other factors, be accounted for.
(seventh attempt at comment post)
I know this is late but I was trying to get onto the wrong website. Anyways, In "Mending Wall" when the character says, "Good fences make good neighbors," I thought that he meant that in order to have a good relationship with your neighbors, you must have boundaries. By having a "strong fence", it keeps a certain distance between neighbors. This keeps the relationship between both of them friendly but not too friendly. He is saying that in order to be able to live near someone for a long period of time, you can't get too close with them and should only keep them as friendly acquaintances. I don't completely agree. I think that neighbors can be as close as they want. Although it may be rough if a friendship doesn't last between neighbors, people have the right to decide who they want to create bonds with. It may be better to be just acquaintances, but in my opinion having neighbors is a great way to get to know people and create friendships. Strong fences are not needed to have strong relationships with neighbors because to have strong relationships, you must be willing to test boundaries and be able to deal and react to them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stefan. When Robert Frost says this he means that when you separate yourself from someone, you don't know too much about them, and therefore, you like them. They can be viewed from a safe distance. However, when you get close to someone, you can see bad things in them as well. Also, when you stay distant, you stay emotionally detached. If they end up being horrible, evil people, then you didn’t really know them, so you are not hurt. If you don’t build “good fences,” and become friends with your neighbors, then you are stuck with them for better or for worse.
ReplyDelete