The theme of this poem is that a respectful distance between neighbours is the recipe for harmonious relationships:
‘Good fences make good neighbors’.
The theme of this poem is a farmer’s pride in the wisdom passed down to him by his father:
‘He will not go behind his father's saying’.
The poet portrays an unusual and dour country character:
‘like an old-stone savage armed he moves in darkness’.
The theme of this poem is co-operation between neighbours:
‘I let my neighbour know beyond the hill’.
