Question

Which lines from "Mending Wall" best indicate that the speaker is amused while repairing the wall?
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, “Good fences make good neighbours.”
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”

Answer 1

The lines that most clearly show the speaker's amusement are:

- "Oh, just another kind of out-door game," — calling the chore a "game" makes it playful rather than serious.
- "We have to use a spell to make them balance:" — the idea of casting a "spell" is whimsical and not literal, showing a light tone.
- “Stay where you are until our backs are turned!” — the mock-command is playful, as if they're pretending the stones are alive and they’re joking while they work.

These lines turn the mending into a playful ritual, indicating the speaker's amused attitude.