In both Mending Wall and Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert

Frost takes an ordinary moment and transforms it into a significant reflection on

important aspects of human life. In Mending Wall he takes the ordinary moment of
two neighbours annually meeting together to fix the wall of boulders that stand
between their properties, and in Stopping By he takes the ordinary moment of
stopping one evening to contemplate the snow and woods and transforms both of
these ordinary moments into significant reflections upon human existence. He uses
aspects of the ordinary world to reinforce what he is saying about the human beings
that inhabit this world the way they respond to each other and the meaning of their
lives. Frost uses the persona as a means of reflection upon important aspects of
existence. In MW, the persona reflects upon the nature and purpose of boundaries,
while in SB the persona explores the tension between desire and responsibilities. He
conveys these feelings and ideas through dramatic voice, metaphors, rich emotional
tone and contrast. SB tells the story of a persona who is on a journey through the
woods, accompanied by his horse. The poems deeper meaning arises out of the
personas musing. The woods lovely, dark and deep come to symbolise the
attractiveness of passivity and with drawl from life. The persona feels drawn to this
dark beauty, but he is also drawn to life. But I have promises to keep to go before I
sleep. It is life and personal involvement that he chooses rather than with drawl. Frost
is focusing on existential choices people make, the idea of human choice and
opportunity. We learn however that choice must be made, and that any choice will be
accompanied by a certain amount of regret. Rich emotional tone is used towards the
end of the poem, which further assists us in completely understanding the meaning of
the poem. It does this as it is ambiguous it allows the reader to consider and
interpret the ideas differently. Miles to go can be read with a sense of melancholy, a
sense of resignation or a sense of commitment to the purpose of life. Another
technique Frost uses in SB is extended metaphor. Frost uses this metaphor to tie the
most ordinary aspects of life by association to extraordinary moments. Frost believes
that all poetry is essentially metaphorical it is a means of giving new knowledge and
new awareness through comparison and contrast. The extended metaphor used in SB
is the journey. The journey of the persona becomes a metaphor for the grand journey
life. MW tells the story of two neighbours (one who is traditional and stubborn and
the other being playful and mischievous) who annually meet to repair the fence of
boulders that stands between their properties. The wall of boulders that stands reflects
boundaries in general that separate people; either through keeping people in or
keeping people out. The persona suggests that walls are counterproductive and
offensive and that we must be discriminating when we erect them. Before I built a
wall We can see that the wall is a symbol of division and barriers between people,
their unthinking lack of communication and their unwillingness to give up old ideas.
He will not go behind his fathers saying. In MW Frost uses the dramatic voice of
the persona to engage the reader in a discussion about the functions of walls and
boundaries. There were it is we do not need a wall. Dramatic voice allows us to
examine the characters, relationships and values portrayed to the reader in the poem
further. Personal point of view allows the reader to join in the reflection on boundaries
and be part of the playful atmosphere the persona creates. Stay where you are till our
backs are turned. Contrast is yet another technique used by Frost in this poem. The
contrast between the two neighbours offers the reader contrasting ideas and opinions
about the boundaries. He believes his neighbour is a stone like savage because he
will only respond to his playful, mischievous views with a proverbial response good
fences make good neighbours.