Question

In the context of the poem, which image most fully reflects the speaker's disapproval of the neighbor's attitudes?

A) "Gaps even two can pass abreast" (line 4)
B) "The boulders that have fallen" (line 16)
C) "He is all pine" (line 24)
D) "He moves in darkness" (line 41)

Answer 1

The image from 'Mending Wall' that reflects the speaker's disapproval of the neighbor's attitudes is 'He moves in darkness', which suggests the neighbor's ignorance and unexamined conformity to tradition.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of the poem 'Mending Wall' by Robert Frost, the image that most fully reflects the speaker's disapproval of the neighbor's attitudes is D) "He moves in darkness" (line 41). This line conveys the speaker's perception of the neighbor as operating from a place of ignorance, traditionalism, and possibly fear (inferred from the metaphorical use of 'darkness'). The 'darkness' suggests a kind of willful blindness to the benefits of change or reconsideration of old beliefs. This image contrasts with earlier lines that simply describe the physical task of repairing the wall, and it provides a critique of the neighbor's unexamined conformity to tradition. The poem as a whole explores the theme of barriers, both physical and metaphorical, and questions the necessity and intent behind maintaining them.