3 Fire and Ice

1
Fire and Ice

About the poet: Robert Frost was born on 26th March 1874, in San Francisco. Frost and his wife Elinor Miriam moved to
England in 1912, after they tried and failed at farming in New Hampshire. It was here that Frost met and was influenced by
such contemporary British poets as Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, and Robert Graves.
1.About the author
Robert Frost was born on March 28th, 1874 in San Francisco, California. He spent the first 12 years old of his life there until
his father died of tuberculosis. Then, he moved with his mother and sister to the town of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Frost
attended Lawrence High School over there, where he met his future love and wife, Elinor White. After he graduated from
high school in 1892, he attended Dartmouth University for several months. In 1894, he had his first poem, “My Butterfly: an
Elegy”, published in weekly literary journal. With this success, Frost proposed Elinor when she had graduated from
college and they married in 1895. In 1897, Frost attended Harvard University, but he had to drop out due to health concern.
In 1900, he moved with his wife and children to a farm in New Hampshire and they attempted to make a life on it for the
next 12 years; it was a difficult period in his personal life actually. In 1912, Frost and Elinor decided to sell the farm in New
Hampshire and move to England, where more publishers will be willing to take a chance on new poets. Within just a few
months, Frost found a publisher that would publish his book of poems. The time Frost spent in England was one of the
most significant periods in his life though it was short. Then, Frost returned to America and he continued to make other
poems. Roberts Frost is highly regarded for his realistic depiction of rural life and his command of American colloquial
speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early of twentieth century. 2 Social
circumstances in Modern Period (1901-1939)
Modernist literature is mainly characterized by a very self-conscious break with traditional ways of writing, in both poetry
and prose fiction. The horrors of the First World War saw the prevailing assumption about society reassessed, and
modernist writers were influenced by such thinkers as Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, among others, who raised question
about the rationality of the human mind. Therefore, modernist literature came into its own due to increasing
industrialization and globalization. New technology and the horrifying events in World Wars made many people question
the future of humanity; what was becoming of the world? Most literature had a clear beginning, middle, and end; it was
cast in the first person. Irony, satire, and comparison were often employed to point society’s ills.
Thus, from these extrinsic elements, it is really suitable with the poem “fire and ice” by Robert Frost because the meaning
of the poem is about questioning how the world will end, he touched the sense of humanity by mentioning fire and ice
relating to human behavior.
Inspiration
According to one of Frost's biographers, "Fire and Ice" was inspired by a passage in Canto 32 of Dante's Inferno, in which the
worst offenders of hell, the traitors, are submerged, while in a fiery hell, up to their necks in ice: "a lake so bound with ice, /
It did not look like water, but like a glass ... right clear / I saw, where sinners are preserved in ice."
In an anecdote he recounted in 1960 in a "Science and the Arts" presentation, prominent astronomer Harlow Shapley claims
to have inspired "Fire and Ice”. Shapley describes an encounter he had with Robert Frost a year before the poem was
published in which Frost, noting that Shapley was the astronomer of his day, asked him how the world will end. Shapley
responded that either the sun will explode and incinerate the Earth, or the Earth will somehow escape this fate only to end
up slowly freezing in deep space. Shapley was surprised at seeing "Fire and Ice" in print a year later, and referred to it as an
example of how science can influence the creation of art, or clarify its meaning.
Style and structure
2
It is written in a single nine-line stanza, which greatly narrows in the last two lines. The poem's meter is an irregular mix of
iambic tetrameter and diameter, and the rhyme scheme (which is ABA ABC BCB) suggests but departs from the rigorous
pattern of Dante's terza rima.
Compression of Dante's Inferno
In a 1999 article, John N. Serio claims that the poem is a compression of Dante's Inferno. He draws a parallel between the
nine lines of the poem with the nine rings of Hell, and notes that like the downward funnel of the rings of Hell, the poem
narrows considerably in the last two lines. Additionally, the rhyme scheme – ABA ABC BCB — he remarks, is similar to the
one Dante invented for Inferno.
Frost's diction further highlights the parallels between Frost's discussion of desire and hate with Dante's outlook on sins of
passion and reason with sensuous and physical verbs describing desire and loosely recalling the characters Dante met in the
upper rings of Hell: "taste" (recalling the Glutton), "hold" (recalling the adulterous lovers), and "favor" (recalling the
hoarders). In contrast, hate is discussed with verbs of reason and thought ("I think I know.../To say...").
This short poet by Robert Frost is very meaningful and has very serious context with respect to the fate of the
world. The author is analyzing about the end of the world. It is for sure that this world along with all its creatures will be
coming to an end.
The author provides and deals with two possible causes for the end of the world. Both the two reasons contrast each other
and are equally opposite to each other. The two alternatives, which will, anyway become the reason for destructions are fire
and ice.
Frost says that there is a never ending debate for which one of the two-fire and ice- will probably become the possible reason
for the destruction of this entire world and the humanity.
On one side of the debate are people who are in favor of faire, that is, it will be the heat and the passion which will lead the
humanity, the world to end. On the other side of the debate are those who favor ice and feel that it will be the ‘ice’ which will
freeze the world. This can also be understood from a scientific meaning whereby the scientists analyzed the two reasons for
the destruction of the world is either the fiery core or the ice age.
In other words, either the deep heat or fire under the earth beds will lead to natural calamities like volcanoes, earthquakes
and tsunamis which will one day end the world or the melting of the ice from the snowy mountains due to global warming
will shrink the world and one day the entire world will die of the icy water.
But I feel that the poet is pointing more towards the emotional and sentimental side of the issue. As per him, fire denotes
deep passion and the burning desire, while ice is highlighted for icy cold and hatred side of the emotions. He is favoring both
the arguments to be equally valid. It is either the deep burning passion or the cold hatred jealousy factor which push people
to walk on the path of destruction.
The poet is very much sure of this destruction of the humanity. He first talks about the destruction because of fire, and in case
this fails, then ice will the world is full of hatred means the sweet love among people for each other has vanished, and this
hatred will end humanity one day.
The author means that the love is full of passion for oneself and in this race of climbing up; people tend to hate each other.
And the worst part is that these negative emotions are so strong that it surpasses the sweet relationships of love and
humanity.
Analysis of Poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost

3
Fire and Ice is a short rhyming poem Frost wrote in 1920, probably inspired by Dante's Inferno, Canto 32 (the first book of his 14th century
Divine Comedy) which deals with the subject of sinners in a fiery hell, up to their necks in a lake of ice.
Other sources claim the poem was created following a conversation with astronomer Harlow Shapley about the end of the world. The noted
astronomer, when questioned by Frost, said that either the sun will explode or the earth will slowly freeze. Take your pick.
Robert Frost, in his own inimitable way, chose both, the poem expressing this dualism in a typical rhythmic fashion, using a modified version
of the rhyming scheme known as terza rima where the second line of the first tercet rhymes fully with the first and third lines of the next.
This was invented by none other than Dante in his Divine Comedy, so Frost may have borrowed the idea.
In short, both sources sound plausible and resulted in a curious tongue-in-cheek kind of poem, the tone being somewhat casual and
understated, whilst the subject matter is one of the most serious you could think of.
If you listen to the video carefully, Robert Frost speaks in an almost offhand way as if saying to the reader - you make your mind up which
method (of destruction) you prefer. One or the other is going to happen sooner or later.
First published in 1923 in his book New Hampshire, Fire and Ice is a strong symbolic poem, fire becoming the emotion of desire and ice that
of hatred. In essence, the fire is pure passion, the ice is pure reason.
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire, Some

say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire I
hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Analysis of Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice is one of Robert Frost's shortest poems but gives the reader much to ponder on. Casual in tone, with clichés, it introduces to the
reader the profound idea that the world could end in one of two ways, with fire or ice, through desire or hate.
If you listen to the video, read by Frost, it is possible to detect a hint of understatement in his voice. Perhaps a subject of such seriousness
needs to be treated with a certain insouciance?
It has that traditional iambic beat running through the mostly tetrameter lines - save for three dimeter - which Frost employed a lot and it's
this rhythm that could be said to undermine the essential seriousness of the subject - the end of the world.
Note that the longer lines can be read a little quicker than the short, which means a different tempo for the reader at lines 2, 8 and 9.
From those two alliterative opening lines the reader is drawn into the rhetorical argument - fire or ice for the end of the world? These lines
are based on mere hearsay...Some say...who says?...experts...the guy on the street, the woman in the bar?
The third line, along with the fourth and sixth reveal the first person speaker, keen to let the reader in on his idea of things. His world view.
This is a poem of opinion yes, but opinion brought about by personal experience.
Everyone knows the world will end at some time but no one knows how. This poem posits fire or ice, then fire and ice, as the likely causes of
the world's demise. And to bring the idea into the human domain, the speaker links the elements to human emotion - fire is desire, ice is
hate - and the speaker has experienced them both.
Delving deeper, if Frost took inspiration from Dante's Inferno, then it's necessary to relate these nine lines of the poem to the nine circles
of hell mentioned in Dante's book and to also link the Greek philosopher Aristotle's ethical ideas about human nature, which Dante's book
reflects.
4
Aristotle basically said that to live a positive life the passions had to be controlled by reason, and that humans were the only ones capable of
rational thought. In contrast to the animals.
So in the poem fire is desire which is passion, ice is hate which is reason. Those who strayed away from the positive life through reason were
judged the worst offenders, ending up in a lake of ice.
Either way, the end of the world is brought about by the emotional energy of humans.
Frost's poem neatly expresses this ethical scenario in a nutshell. It's a sort of chilli pepper in a fridge.
More Analysis of Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice is a nine line single stanza rhyming poem with a strong metrical base of iambic tetrameter and dimeter.
Rhyme
The rhyme scheme is : aba abc bcb with ice repeated twice and also contained within twice/suffice. This clever twist on the terza rima rhyme
means that the initial opening fire gradually fades as the poem progresses, with ice taking over.
Meter (Metre in British English)
Overall the poem is a mix of iambic tetrameter and iambic dimeter, the long lines having eight syllables and four stresses, the shorter four
syllables and two stresses. This gives the poem a rising feel as each word at line end is stressed. That familiar daDUM daDUM steady beat is
maintained, one of Frost's most popular.
Let's look closely:
Some say / the world / will end / in fire, (spondee+3 iambs)

Some say / in ice. (spondee+iamb)
From what / I’ve ta / sted of / desire (4 iambs) I
hold with those who favor fire.
Is al / so great (2 iambs) And
would suffice.
So note the spondees that open the first two lines giving a spurt of energy with a double stress to the alliteration. And line seven scans a
little differently as the reader has to naturally pause at the end of destruction, before the word ice continues the meaning into the final two
lines via enjambment.
In Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice,” fire represents desire and ice hatred. “Fire and Ice” is predicting the end of the world; fire and ice
being the two vices in which the speaker discusses could possibly lead to the end of our existence. The speaker is able to
generalize that the world will end in either desire or hatred and still be accurate as desire and hatred are expansive emotions,
with many acts that can committed under them. One could say that any act of destruction or violence could be done under
desire or hatred, so the two emotions are probable ends to the world.
Fire is a symbol for desire as the speaker agrees with those who say that fire will end the world by speaking: “From what I’ve
tasted of desire/I hold with those who favor fire.” The speaker would agree that fire, or desire, will end the world due to his
personal experience tasting desire. Desire is a probable end to the world, as many destructive acts that humans commit is due to
their desire to obtain something they don’t own, such as land, resources, or even people. The speaker seems to have “tasted
desire” at some point in his life, and is aware of the seductive ways of this veiling emotion. True desire steams, like a gas, and
soon covers every inch of ones being until that person will do all in their power to obtain what it is they wish for so badly. Desire
clouds the mind, and those who desire something so fiercely become blind to the means they use to ascertain it, no matter how
drastic.
5
The second degradation that the speaker tells the reader of is ice, which represents hatred. The speaker says: “I think I know
enough of hate/To say that for destruction ice/Is also great/And would suffice.” The speaker provides the reader with a clear
connection between hatred and ice, saying that he is familiar enough with hate, or ice, to know that it could end the world as
easily as desire, or fire. The speaker tells us that ice can provide great “destruction,” thus saying that hatred is a volatile and
volcanic emotion that could possibly be the ruin of us. Hate is an emotion beyond the regular human beings spectrum of
feelings. True hate is an evil thing, and takes years to master and temper correctly, it must fester over time and becomes deadly
in doing so. This thick, tangible feeling is strong, fuelled by passion, and ones hatred of another could very easily end the world.
Desire and hatred are duel emotions of terror, and are both deadly in their own rights. Whether a jealous sovereign to
commandeer another countries resources launches an invasion or a mad scientist unleashes a disease on the public to alleviate
his hatred for the world that had rendered him an outcast, hatred or desire are two probable endings for this planet. While
desire is the ending that the speaker predicts more favorably for our planet, he acknowledges hatred as an equally daunting
threat to the well being of the world.
Symbolism of the Poem 'Fire and Ice' by Robert Frost

In the poem 'Fire and Ice', Robert Frost uses a sarcastic tone to warn us about the dangers that planet Earth could face, if we
do not keep our desires and negative emotions in control. Short, crisp, and to-the-point, he conveys a very profound message
in just 9 lines. This article provides the Fire and Ice poem analysis, through its symbolism, theme, and a detailed line-by-line
understanding of the text.
The poem 'Fire and Ice' was first published in Harper's Magazine in December 1920. It was later also included in the book
New Hampshire in 1923, that went on to win the Pulitzer prize.
It is believed that Robert Frost was inspired to write this poem because of two reasons - a passage in Canto 32 of Dante's
Inferno, and a conversation he had with a noted astronomer, Harlow Shapley.
Inferno, in Italian, means 'hell'. Inferno is a poem written by Dante describing his journey through hell.
Frost had once asked a question to Harlow Shapley about how the world would end. To this, the scientist replied that, either
the Earth would be burnt because the Sun exploded, or, if the Earth would manage to escape this calamity, the opposite
would happen - it would freeze up in the depths of the universe. The poem was published a year after this conversation took
place.
Fire and Ice

say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
Is also great And
would suffice.
Structural Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A-B-A, A-B-C, B-C-B

Meter: iambic tetrameter and dimeter
Pattern: terza rima
Symbolism and Theme

6
The poet is surmising the fate of the world - what would cause it to end. Being a poet, he likens the causes to the
imperfections in human nature, and not just plain physics. He dwells on two causes that are believed to end the world - fire
or ice. Here, fire is symbolic of human desire or passion, and ice is symbolic of hatred.
Humans have raided the planet in an attempt to satisfy their desires; we cut trees, pollute the air, water and land, just to get
and experience the things we want. We do this without consideration what effect it will have on nature. Here, fire also
symbolizes base passion, or so to say sexual desire. This desire, although responsible for continuation of life, if not controlled,
can also lead to misery and self-destruction (remember AIDS). Ice symbolizes the hatred that arises out of rational thinking.
Humans, in their bid to know things and gain power, become so impervious to love and kindness, that they end up fighting
with each other. This has been evident in the wars that have been fought throughout human history.
Line-by-line Interpretation
say in ice.
Here, the 'end of the world' could either mean doom or the Apocalypse, as stated in religious texts like the Bible. It could be a
celestial happening, as stated by the astronomer mentioned earlier. It could also be a natural calamity happening on Earth
itself; volcanoes, or forest fires, or the Ice Age.
It could also mean man-made destruction of the world because of man's greed or animosity, leading to global warming or
nuclear war. It also points to the collapsing of the world around a person because of his mistakes, owing to similar reasons.
The poet has demarcated the reason of this destruction into two major schools of thought - one in favor of fire, and the other
in favor of ice.
From what I've tasted of desire

The poet knows what it means to have desires. From his knowledge and experience of this feeling, and the havoc it can cause
to a person if done in excess, he agrees that desire can be a cause of destruction. Fire is used in reference to the animal
tendencies in us. All these emotions are associated with hotness. Here, desire could mean ambitions, aspirations, gluttony,
greed, lust, etc. We commit mistakes, or so to say, sins, in running after our desires. We do not see that it can harm other
people, animals, plants or nature, if we blindly go after it. Excessive emphasis on desires is what keeps us from experiencing
pure joy and bliss.
Now what if the Earth somehow escaped the devastation caused by what he refers to as fire? What other would cause a
wipe-out of life from planet Earth? Let us find out what he says next.

Is also great
The poet has also experienced negative feelings like hatred himself, and also in people around him. He is owning up to
having this feeling himself, so we can also say that he is being very honest with us. Hatred is taken to be an ice-cold emotion.
It could also be that he has received this emotion from someone, and knows what wrong it can do. When you become selfish
and think only about yourself, you don't care about anybody else.
7
Let us understand why he has associated hatred with ice, and also why destruction by ice is following destruction by fire. You
have a fit of rage which is a hot feeling, then it keeps smoldering inside you, and finally you become impervious to love. You
become indifferent, uncaring, and devoid of positive feelings. Thus, hatred destroys the very humanity in you. If love is lost,
everything is lost, and this is a great recipe for an impending disaster.
And would suffice.
This line lingers in the mind and makes your hair stand on their ends. It frightens you, and makes you shudder to think that
the very inadequacies and imperfections in human nature could boomerang on us and lead to our destruction.
This poem makes us think deeper about our negativity. It propels us towards introspection. What we can learn from it is that,
we should strive to keep human values alive. We should keep our desires and hatred in check. Desires can be controlled by
being satisfied and happy with what one has. Love for all living beings and nature can be an antidote for the venom of
hatred.
Robert Frost: Poems Summary and Analysis of "Fire and Ice" (1923)
This short poem outlines the familiar question about the fate of the world, wondering if it is more likely to be destroyed by fire or ice. People
are on both sides of the debate, and Frost introduces the narrator to provide his personal take on the question of the end of the world. The
narrator first concludes that the world must end in fire after considering his personal experience with desire and passion, the emotions of
fire. Yet, after considering his experience with “ice,” or hatred, the narrator acknowledges that ice would be equally destructive.
Analysis
Only nine lines long, this little poem is a brilliant example of Frost’s concisely ironic literary style. The poem varies between two meter
lengths (either eight syllables or four syllables) and uses three sets of interwoven rhymes, based on “-ire,” “-ice,” and “-ate.”
In the first two lines of the poem, Frost creates a clear dichotomy between fire and ice and the two groups of people that believe in each
element. By using the term “some” instead of “I” or “an individual,” Frost asserts that the distinction between the two elements is a
universal truth, not just an idea promoted by an individual. In addition to the unavoidable contradiction between fire and ice, these first
lines also outline the claim that the world will end as a direct result of one of these elements. It is unclear which element will destroy the
world, but it is significant to note that fire and ice are the only options. The poem does not allow for any other possibilities in terms of the
world’s fate, just as there are not any other opinions allowed in the black-and-white debate between fire and ice.
Interestingly, the two possibilities for the world’s destruction correspond directly to a common scientific debate during the time Frost wrote
the poem. Some scientists believed that the world would be incinerated from its fiery core, while others were convinced that a coming ice
age would destroy all living things on the earth’s surface. Instead of maintaining a strictly scientific perspective on this debate, Frost
introduces a more emotional side, associating passionate desire with fire and hatred with ice. Within this metaphorical view of the two
elements, the “world” can be recognized as a metaphor for a relationship. Too much fire and passion can quickly consume a relationship,
while cold indifference and hate can be equally destructive.
Although the first two lines of the poem insist that there can only be a single choice between fire and ice, the narrator undercuts this
requirement by acknowledging that both elements could successfully destroy the world. Moreover, the fact that he has had personal
experience with both (in the form of desire and hate) reveals that fire and ice are not mutually exclusive, as the first two lines of the poem
insist. In fact, though the narrator first concludes that the world will end in fire, he ultimately admits that the world could just as easily end
in ice; fire and ice, it seems, are strikingly similar.
Summary
The speaker considers the age-old question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice. This is similar to another age-old question: whether
it would be preferable to freeze to death or burn to death. The speaker determines that either option would achieve its purpose sufficiently
well.
Form
8
“Fire and Ice” follows an invented form, irregularly interweaving three rhymes and two line lengths into a poem of nine lines. Each line ends
either with an -ire,-ice, or -aterhyme. Each line contains either four or eight syllables. Each line can be read naturally as iambic, although this
is not strictly necessary for several lines. Frost employs strong enjambment in line 7to great effect.
Commentary
An extremely compact little lyric, “Fire and Ice” combines humor, fury, detachment, forthrightness, and reserve in an airtight package. Not a
syllable is wasted. The aim is aphorism—the slaying of the elusive Truth-beast with one unerring stroke. But for Frost, as usual, the truth
remains ambiguous and the question goes unanswered; to settle for aphorism would be to oversimplify.
We can attribute part of the poem’s effect to the contrast between the simple, clipped precision of its vocabulary and the vague gravity of its
subject. The real triumph of “Fire and Ice,” however, is in its form. Try writing the poem out in prose lines. Nearly all poems suffer
considerably in this exercise, but this poem simply dies:
Some say the world will end in fire. Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish
twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that, for destruction, ice is also great and would suffice.
The language remains simple, but the devastating, soaring anticlimax of the final two lines is lost. Those lines draw their soft-kill power from
form: from their rhymes; from the juxtaposition of their short, punchy length with that of the preceding lines (and their resonance with the
length of the second line); and from the strong enjambment in line 7, which builds up the tension needed for the perfect letdown.
It is one thing to pull off an offhand remark about the end of days; it is another to make it poetry. Frost masterfully accomplishes both in a
single composition.
Summary of the Poem Fire and Ice

Stanza 1 Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
In these lines, the poet says that there are two theories held by the general people about how the world will be destroyed. The first group of
people thinks that fire will cause the apocalypse to happen. It means that earth’s core will heat up to an extremely high temperature, then
the heat will eventually reach the surface of the planet, and then everything on the surface will be destroyed. It will be destroyed beyond
repair. The second theory says just the opposite. Instead of destruction by heat, some people believes in the theory that the world will freeze
till all the species of flora and fauna i.e. plants and wildlife inhabiting the earth become extinct once and for all. Hence, this theory is based
on the power of ice which will change the living conditions on earth. The poet is aware of both these theories and will now proceed to
compare them against each other.
Stanza 2
From what I’ve tasted of desire

In these lines, the poet tries to outline the merits of the first theory. He praised the theory about the
destruction of the earth by fire. He compares the fire with human passion and desire. He also says that he is
quite familiar with this concept of desire. He also knows about the capability of desire which can be produced
in human beings. With this knowledge in mind, the poet frankly confesses that he agrees with those people
who believe that the world will be burnt to ash.
Stanza 3But if it had to perish twice,

9
Is also great And
would suffice.
In these lines, the poet stops discussing the first theory and goes on to talk about the theory about the
destruction of earth by ice. Though, he does not discredit the first theory about fire, or withdraw his support
for its greater possibility in causing the apocalypse. He simply considers what might happen if the earth were
to be destroyed a second time. He is sure that the second time ice and the freezing temperatures will be enough
to destroy the earth as nearly and effectively as fire previously had. The poet then compares ice with hatred.
He says that hatred is also an emotion that he is familiar with, and that he knows what kind of danger can
arise from hatred. With this knowledge, he comes to the conclusion that both an ice age and the coldness in
man’s heart can cause the apocalypse for a second time.
In this poem, Frost points out that humans will be the agents of our own destruction, one way or another. He
compares "desire" to "fire" and "hate" to "ice." Both desire and hate are represented by physical forces that could lead to
our extinction.
We might imagine desire to be something like greed, perhaps for natural resources—oil, fresh water, natural gas, and so on
—since nations conflict time and again over resources such as these. Perhaps he chooses fire as representative of desire
because of the wars we fight with each other when we want things the other has.
We might imagine hate to be based on race, religion, ethnicity, or any other kind of personal differences that might seem
significant enough for us to harm or abandon one another over them. Perhaps Frost chooses ice to represent this feeling or
force because hate can lead one to turn their back on someone, freezing them out, so to speak, allowing them to suffer
and die. The speaker does decide that he believes it will be "fire" or our desire that does us in. However, he admits, via a
wry understatement, that our hatred for one another is significant, and so it could easily end us as well.
Frost’s poetry is principally associated with the life and landscape of New England and he was a poet of traditional verse
forms and metrics. However, he is anything but merely a regional poet. He is essentially a modern poet in his adherence to
language as it is actually spoken, in the psychological complexity of his portraits, and in the degree to which his work is
infused with layers of ambiguity and irony.
About the poem Fire and Ice: “Fire and Ice” is one of Robert Frost’s most anthologized poems. It was first published in
December 1920 in Harper’s Magazine and then in 1923 in his Pulitzer Prize–winning book New Hampshire. According to one
of Frost’s biographers, “Fire and Ice” was inspired by a passage in Canto 32 of Dante’s Inferno. In this passage the worst
offenders of hell, the traitors, are submerged, up to their necks in ice while in a fiery hell. The eminent astronomer Harlow
Shapley also claims to have inspired “Fire and Ice” in an anecdote he recounted in 1960 in a “Science and the Arts”
presentation. Shapley describes an encounter he had with Robert Frost a year before the poem was published. At that time
Frost, noting that Shapley was the astronomer of his day, asked him how the world will end. Shapley responded that either
the sun will explode and incinerate the Earth, or else the Earth will escape this fate only to end up slowly freezing in deep
space. Shapley was surprised at seeing “Fire and Ice” in print a year later, called it as an example of how science can
influence the creation of art.
In a 1999 article, John N. Serio claimed that “Fire and Ice” is a compression of Dante’s Inferno. He drew a parallel between
the nine lines of the poem with the nine rings of Hell. He also noted that like the downward funnel of the rings of Hell, the
poem narrows considerably in the last two lines. Additionally, the rhyme scheme, he felt, is similar to the one Dante invented
for Inferno.
10
Fantasy writer George RR Martin has said that the title of his series entitled A Song of Ice and Fire (which is the source of the
TV phenomenon Game of Thrones) was partly inspired by the poem. The poem consists of 9 lines in total. These lines are not
divided into stanzas. They are divided into meaningful segments for the purposes of this summary in order to make the poem
easier to understand and follow.
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Summary
Lines 1 – 2:
say in ice.
In these lines, the poet says that there are two theories held by the general populace about how the world will come to be
destroyed. The first of these theories states that fire will cause the apocalypse to happen. That is to say, the earth’s core will
heat up to an excruciatingly high temperature, then the heat will eventually reach the surface of the planet, and then
everything on the surface will be incinerated beyond repair. The second theory says just the opposite. Instead of destruction
by heat, this theory believes that the world will freeze till all the species of flora and fauna inhabiting it become extinct once
and for all. Hence, this theory is based on the power of ice to obliterate living conditions on earth. The poet is aware of both
these theories and will now proceed to weigh them against each other.
Lines 3 – 4:
In these lines, the poet tries to outline the merits of the first theory – the theory about destruction of the earth by fire. He
equates fire with human passion and desire. He also says that he is quite familiar with this concept of desire, and knows
what it actions it is capable of producing in human beings. With this knowledge in mind, the poet frankly confesses that he
agrees with those people who believe that the world will be burnt to a cinder.
Lines 5 – 9:
Is also great
And would suffice.
In these lines, the poet stops discussing the first theory and goes on to talk about the second theory – the theory about the
destruction of earth by ice. He does not discredit the first theory about fire, or withdraw his support for its greater possibility
in causing the apocalypse. He simply considers what might happen if the earth were to be destroyed a second time. He is
sure that the second time ice and the freezing temperatures it causes will be enough to destroy the earth as nearly and
effectively as fire previously had. The poet then compares ice with hatred. He says that hatred is also an emotion that he is
familiar with, and that he knows what kind of fanaticism can arise from hatred. With this knowledge, he comes to the
conclusion that both an ice age and the coldness in man’s heart can cause the apocalypse for a second time.
11
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
The apocalypse has always been a phenomenon to capture the minds of people and is an important concept in
this poem, Fire and Ice. Throughout history, there has always been a seeming fascination with how the world
will end. In recent years, these discussions have centred around nuclear disaster, immense climate change, and
general cynicism. Two thousand years ago (give or take), the Revelations chapter as added into the Christian
Bible, detailing a prophetic vision of the end of the world. This has long been a topic embedded in the human
psyche. At some point between the present and Revelations’ authorship (closer to the present though), Robert
Frost added his own ideas to the mix, and the result was Fire and Ice, one of his most well-known poems, and
certainly one of his most powerful ones. This poem is known for its simplicity and biting message, as well as its
call to stop and think, offering a different perspective on the end of everything.
Fire and Ice Analysis
A lot of thought most definitely went into the creation of this poem. Fire and Ice is written as a series of nine
lines, alternating between three rhyming sounds — ABA ABC BCB being the rhyming summary for Fire and Ice. It
features a narrator describing the end of the world in their own vision, and it’s largely simplistic.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
These first few lines describe the disagreement in general society on the topic of how the world ends. In a
modern sense, “fire” and “ice” could well be stand-ins for “nuclear disaster” and “climate change.” Frost’s use of
“fire” and “ice,” however, is largely a metaphoric decision that opens the poem up to different kinds of
interpretation. Ice and fire, of course, are opposites of one another, suggesting that most people have entirely
opposing views on the apocalypse — after all, the world can’t end in ice and fire at the same time. Ice and fire
also represent two extremes which, on a grand enough scale, could cause immense damage, and are fitting
metaphors for harbingers of death.
Here the speaker provides their own opinion — they equate fire with desire, which is to suggest that it is equal
with passions, with greed, with rage. Fire is being used as a metaphor for strong, consuming emotions such as
desire. It is a fitting analogy — in a candle or a fireplace, fire shows a person the way. It is warmth and light. In
same same way, small desires are no trouble at all, and can guide a person to the things they want in life. On a
large scale, however, fire consumes and destroys, and so too does desire. The speaker recalls their experiences
with strong desire, and tends to believe that it is those kinds of emotions and impulses that lead the world down
its irrevocable path. For the speaker, the world will end in fire.

12
Is also great
And would suffice.
As an close opposite to the burning desires the speaker sees as being so dangerous, the ice is also a concern in
their mind. They believe the world will burn, in one form or the other, and that would end it — but if it didn’t
end, and the fire wasn’t enough, the remainder of the poem says, then they believe the ice could manage the
feat as well. As an opposite to a burning flame, a chilling sheen of ice represents hatred to the speaker. They
think of it as something that would chill the world, slow it down, and isolate each individual enough that the
human race simply couldn’t survive it. The potential for ice “would suffice,” and even though they tend to believe
in the destructive power of desire, they see no reason to believe that hate couldn’t end the world just as easily.
Analysis and Historical Context

The point of Fire and Ice seems to get at the idea that arguing over how the world ends isn’t going to delay or
prolong the arrival of the event. For the speaker of the poem, presumably in the voice of Robert Frost, it really
doesn’t matter whether it’s one thing or another that makes things bad. What matter is what is done about the
heat or cold (ironically, the other one, though the desire-hatred metaphor doesn’t work so well as a way to
balance out the other). In a way, this poem is a call to act, to stop arguing about the how — “how will this
happen?” — and start debating the what — “what can we do to stop it?”
The poem was written and published in 1920, and eventually republished in Frost’s 1923 volume, New
Hampshire. It was reportedly inspired greatly by Dante’s Inferno, particularly in the descriptions of Hell
(interestingly described as having nine layers, or rings in the story — and Fire and Ice being a poem of nine
lines). Inferno also describes the deepest aspects of Hell as being simultaneously burning with flame and being
submerged in unbreakable ice.
Another event of note is a recollection by American astronomer Harlow Shapley, who recalled meeting with
Robert Frost and discussing the end of the world. Shapley claims to have told Frost that the world would end
either when the sun exploded and incinerated the planet, or when the sun exploded and failed to incinerate the
planet, leaving all remaining life on the planet to wither, freeze, and die.
For Frost in 1920, life had certainly had its good days and bad days. During this time in his life, he had begun
teaching and writing as full-time professions while he lived on a farm in New Hampshire. 1920 was also the year
he needed to commit his sister to a mental hospital, which marked the beginning of a difficult time for the family
— which had already seen its fair share of grief, as by this time, Frost’s parents had both passed away, and Frost
himself was battling depression amidst everything else. In this context, it is hardly surprising that his work took
on a grim look at the world, and that a topic such as the end of the world should rise out of these hard times.
Despite this, it manages to be a powerful and thought-provoking work of art that has remained relevant and
remembered decades after its original printing.
Fire and Ice Poem Meaning

For the poet, fire means the burning desire for the material things and ice means coldness that emerges in humans because
of the desires and materialistic life. He finally concludes that both of these weapons are equally dangerous and will lead the
world towards destruction.
This short poem comprises of nine lines and has rhyme scheme ABA ABC BCB. There are three sentences. In the first sentence,
the poet explains the popular debate that is prevailing in the society since long about what will destroy the world.
13
In the second sentence, he, metaphorically changes the discourse. Now fire and ice means something deeper and profound.
in the final line, which is the longest, he gives his own thoughts.
Fire and Ice Poem Analysis Line by Line
Part 1
The poet begins the poem by narrating the popular and age-old debate about the two things out of which one will destroy
the world. These two things are fire and ice.
Some of the scientists believe that it is the fire which will be responsible for the destruction of the world. The fire here means
the lave which is in the core of earth. People believe that someday, the earth will burst and there will be huge explosions of
fire which will burn the world and hence everything will be destroyed.
The other belief is that it is the ice which will destroy the world. Now, ice may refer to different things (as I have read
different interpretations of this word in various sites). First, ice probably refers to melting of glaciers and rising of sea-level in
which everything will sink.
However this interpretation does not seem to be the exact meaning of what Frost talks about. The other interpretation ice is
the entering of a meteor or any other thing from the space which will stop the sunlight and hence, there will be an ince age
which will make the world perish.
According to CourseHero, Frost’s son died at the age of 4 which was followed by the death of his daughter, some time before
he composed this verse. Hence the ice may also refer to the tragedies which Frost had gone through in his life.
Whatever the meanings of fire and ice are, the poet gives a popular assumption of his time.
Part 2
In the third line, the poet comes to his own interpretation of these two terms. According to him, he has tasted desire and
hence he is of the thought that those who favour fire are right and he supports their view.
Desire is what led Adam and Eve eat the fruit of forbidden tree. It is the desire which makes the people greedy, materialistic
and deceitful.
It is the desire for power which led the deadliest wars, battles and cost an uncountable loss of humans as well as other living
things. Hence, for the poet, the fire of desire will destroy the world.
Part 3
But, the poet says that if the world were to destroy twice ice would also have destroyed it. Ice, in the words of Frost refers to
coldness in the relation. With the emergence of materialistics thoughts, the emotions and human warmness have vanished
away.
In the race of worldly things, people have forgotten other humans and have started loving material things. Thus for the poet,
the hate which has emerged because of desire would also have destroyed the world if it were had to perish twice.
Note that how poet has brought two different things together. Ice and fire cannot be there at the same time. But for the
poet, desire (fire) is what leads to coldness (ice). Hence both will be there to destroy the world in future.
14
Fire and Ice Symbolism

In the poem “Fire and Ice”, Robert Frost attaches a deeper meaning to the words “fire” and “ice” through symbolism. The
poem revolves around the question of how the world is going to end. The speaker throws around two possibilities of
destruction: fire and ice.
The first lines: “Some say the world will end in fire/Some in Ice” (1-2). On a literal level, “the world” means the earth, it is not
a metaphor for anything in a literal sense. Therefore the meaning of the earth will end is geological. The cause will be
natural. Therefore when “fire” ends the world, it metaphorically represents the world overheating through global warming.
When “ice” is the cause, it represents the world freezing over in an ice age. However, Robert Frost adds a twist to the
scientific outlook by adding in informal personal pronouns and by giving examples of both fire and ice. He transforms the
metaphors into symbolic language.
“the world” no longer means the planet Earth, instead it symbolizes Earth’s people.
Therefore, “the world will end” (1) translates humanity will end. The whole meaning of the poem changes because now the
end involves human and human nature, it is no longer a natural occurrence. “Fire” is conflict people people. They become so
passionate and driven by their beliefs that they find it difficult to agree. The passion oozes and explodes.
The speaker introduces the pretext on which he made his decision that the world will end in fire: “From what I’ve tasted of
desire/I hold with those who favor fire” (2-3). Based on his experience of “desire”, the speaker feels fire is the more likely
ending. Thus, the worlds “desire” and “fire” connect. Desire leads to fire. Desire fuels fire. Desire however is not the only
factor that leads to fire, it is just an example. Fire represents conflict. Desire causes conflict because passionate people
become so influenced by their beliefs that they cannot rationalize with others.
“Ice” is coldness and hatred.

“I think I know enough of hate,/To say that for destruction ice/Is also great/And would suffice.”
However, the poem holds an even deeper connation. Fire symbolizes passion and conflict wile ice represents hate and
isolation.
The person pronouns and opinion woven into the poem imply it is a reflection. The speaker uses the words “some” and
“those who” to describe the people divided on how the world is going to end. The choice of the general adjectives takes the
attention away from them. Instead of focussing on the controversy in an openminded way, the reader shifts into the mindset
of the speaker. He continues to funnel the readers into his outlook by uses first person pronoun “I” in phrases like “from
what I’ve tasted”, “I think I know enough”, “I hold with those”. All of them show that his opinion is based on his personal
experience, “from what [he’s] tasted”.
“Some say the world will end in fire/Some in Ice” (1-2). The first lines set the tone for the entire poem. Firstly, the lines
introduce the question that the rest of the poem aims to answer: How is the world going to end? Secondly, the word “some”
evokes the controversial atmosphere engulfing the entire poem. The adjective “some” describes how many people think one
way. However the description is very general because “some” does not give any clue into the specific number. The only
certainty that the adjective delivers is that a percentage of people think a different way. Therefore, the reader feels the
uncertain tone that is continued throughout the poem with words like
The poet shows a parallel between the nine lines of the poem with the nine rings of Hell, and makes the structure of the poem, like the
downward funnel of the rings of Hell as the poem narrows extensively in the last two lines. Furthermore, the rhyme scheme, aba-abc-bcb, is
similar to the one Dante used in Inferno.
The speaker of the poem says that some people agree that the world will end in fire, while some others say that it will end in ice. But from
what the speaker has known of desire, he agrees with those who hold that the world is to be consumed by the Great Fire that is the fire of
desire. Meanwhile the speaker states, but supposing that the world is likely to end twice, and speaking out of his own experience of the cold
of ice that is the hatred, he also agrees that the world will end in ice.
15
The theme of the poem is the destructiveness of the passions of love and hate. Both these passions are made to look more terrible by
understatement. In Thompson's words, "The analogy, here implied, establishes a comparison between the heat of the love or passion and
the coldness of the hatred. Coupled with this is the hint of the destructive power of these two extremes of human passion, cataclysmic
power. But there is also a further suggestion: these two extremes are made so to encompass life as to be gathering up of all that may exist
between them; all that may be swept away by them." Possibly the poem holds out the poet's belief that the opposed extremes most
elemental in the long drama of mankind and desire and reason, heart and mind. Symbolically interpreting the poem, fire stands for the heat
of love and passion, while ice for the cold of hate. The last line confirms the poet's belief in the two passions possessing enormous destructive
power. These passions are inevitable in the drama of human life.
Though the poem is short-sized, it is full of meaning. The poem has been described as "a poem of dry eyed acceptance of both passions in
their most destructive form", the two passions being love and hate, which we find detailed herein. Ezra Pound once remarked that there are
only two passions worth celebrating in art: love and hate.
Fire and Ice sums up the process of world destruction. It is very close-knit, a glaring example of the style of condensation. Ideas have been
packed up into the texture of this poem. The poem Fire and Ice is a masterpiece of condensation. The poem is wrapped up in an epigram
speculating about the end of the world. Speaking of the structure of the poem, Thompson observes as follows:
Structurally, such a compact unit, nicely balanced, strikes with the clean accuracy of a poised fist. The backward thrust of "fire" at the end of
the fourth line seems to intensify the thought; the paired rhymes in the second half to lead such a natural pause after "great," that the
octosyllabic line is permitted to break to give the seemingly internal rhyme after force and permit the laconic understatement of the last
three words.
The "laconic understatement" is necessary to make the writing factual and scientific. It is also in keeping with the hard tone of the
subjectmatter. It adds greatly to the cumulative effect of the poem, making it a real piece of fact and fancy. There is a fine economy of words
in it. It is a miraculous poetic piece of few words packed with the profundity of meaning.
In this poem, Frost makes provision for opposite views, as may be deduced from a reading of the poem. He shows himself in agreement with
those who believe that the world will end in fire; he is also in agreement with those who believe that the world will end in ice. And this is
perhaps the accumulated wisdom of the ages that has taught him to say 'ye' to all that approaches him. On the other hand, this is the
quality that stands him in good stead in calling him a 'modern' poet. The 'melancholy dualism' is one of the marked features of modernity.
Moreover, it is wise to keep oneself reserved and report everything with the help of such objective phrases as "Some say." The poet does not
want to load his beliefs or views upon his readers. He rather vaguely suggests them to entertain the views of others, even if they are diverse
and dissimilar.
The poem serves as an analysis of one's life too. If a person is obsessed with unhealthy desires like lust, power, greed, etc., then they will face
the fiery end. If a person is jealous and full of hatred, he will demise with the cold that is coldness of love.
Analysis of Poem “Fire and Ice”

The poem “Fire and Ice” was made in 1920. It discusses the end of the world, likening the elemental force of fire with the
emotion of desire, and ice with hatred.
The intrinsic elements are as follow:
1. Substance
The substance of the poem is about the fate of the world; how the world will end, is it destroyed by fire or by ice? The
author portray that we can be the speaker of the poem. Some of us will on desire, while the rest of us will on hatred. This
made all of us debate about it.
2. Theme
The theme of the poem is about choice and fear; otherwise I can say “every things has its own power” to describe
meaning of “fire and ice”.
3. Form and Meter
This poem is a free verse, consisting of 9 lines, which greatly narrows in the last two lines. The pattern or structure of Fire
and Ice is A-B-A A-B-C B-C-B. It indicates the rhyme scheme on this poem. The poem varies between two meter lengths
16
(either eight syllable or four syllable). In the first two lines, they don’t have the same rhythm or syllable count. Starting in
lines 3, the pattern is eight syllable lines in an iambic meter. The last two lines is actually like a single line which is
broken for the sake of rhyme. 4. Figurative Language
The figure of speech is figurative language in the form of a single word or phrase. Figures of speech used in “Fire and Ice”
are as follows:
Symbolism: it is the key of the poem because the author makes fire as a symbol of desire, passion, and ice as a symbol of
hate or hatred. When the speaker relates fire to desire and ice to hatred, I knew that fire and ice are symbols for human
behavior and emotions. These symbols are taken into broad scheme of the world, especially the war that was occurring.
Besides, it can also be applied into our daily life as a warning against vices of desire and hatred in personal connection.
Imagery: fire and ice have deeper meaning in this poem. For example, fire means feeling of heat, burning, and pain; ice
means cold, no communication, and hate. These images are well created by the author to draw attention in form of
warning sign.
Understatement: the author says the words “some say” in the first two line representing group of the people who give the
opinion of the way the world ends. By saying the word “same”, it makes these groups seem insignificant. Another
understatement is on the last line “and would suffice” which is contrary to the previous line stating that the ice (hatred)
has the awesome power and ability to destroy the world. It gives the absurd ending which makes the reader think that this
poem has no conclusion.
5. Rhyme
Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds. In this poem, it uses end rhyme, which occurs at the end of the lines. The rhyme
scheme used in Fire and Ice is ABA ABC BCB. Therefore, it uses three sets of interwoven rhymes, based on –ire, -ice, and
–ate. A represents –ire in the words fire and desire. B represents –ice in the words ice, twice, suffice. C represents –ate in
the words hate and great.
6. Word Sounds
-Anaphora: the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines. In this poem, anaphora is used in word
“some say”. It is repeated in line 1 and 2 using different details.
-Alliteration: the repetition of initial sounds on the same line or stanza. It can be seen on line 1 and 2 [some say….] and line
4 […. favor fire]
7. Meaning
There are some words within the lines which the meaning is implicitly told by the author. As we can see in line 3 [from
what I’ve tasted of desire], the word tasted is the best one to describe experience. The word “great” in the line 8 means
powerful, the author use the word “great” to make the same rhyme.
8. Tone and Mood
The tone of the poem is ironic and detached because the author reveals that both fire and ice are equally destructed
although in the last line it is a bit ironic for the ability of ice. While the mood of the poem is clinical and almost objective
but ambiguous or confused as the speaker weighs up the various benefits of ice and fire, but at the end of the poem it is
not clearly stated which element is greater to destroy the world and how the world will end.
Extrinsic elements of this poem include the biography of the author and the social condition of the period when this poem
was made.
In Ice and Fire by Robert Frost what other symbols besides ice and fire does the poet use?
Frost plays with several other images in this poem. The idea of taste, and interacting with one's world through sensation is a
powerful one. This reflects a notion of experience within the world, clearly relishing it. In lines 3 and 4, the poem speaks of
how the speaker would interact with the world while absorbing it through taste. This is symbolic of an activity within the
world that is not detached, but rather one of immersion. It is also unique to see how the speaker symbolizes the ideas of
desire and hate, and the unique sensory images that are symbolised within both. One is a force of passion and intensity
17
while the other reflects disengagement and isolation. Using sensory perception to explain such emotions is an exercise in
symbolism and connotation.
Comment on the literary devices in "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.

This excellent poem is built around two implied metaphors, in which ice is compared to hate, and fire to desire. The poem
explores two different contradictory beliefs concerning how the world will end. The poem, perhaps ironically, argues that
either fire (representing desire) or ice (representing hate) will "suffice" to kill us all off. This poem therefore explores the
danger and threat of such emotions as desire and hate, and the way in which such emotions, uncurbed, could destroy us.
The link between fire and desire is clear, with the rhyme helping to establish the connection, but Frost compares ice to hate,
which perhaps needs to be unpacked. Hate, like ice, is hard but can be melted under the right conditions. Hate might lead to
violence, which could usher in the end of the world, just as desire or greed could cause isolation or division, leading to the
same conclusion.
Thus this overtly very simple poem is built around two implied metaphors, which compare fire to desire and ice to hate.
Describe the imagery in "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.

According to astronomer Harrow Shapely, the poem Fire and Ice was created due to a conversation he had with Robert Frost.
The topic of the end of the world came up and Shapely told Frost that Earth would be destroyed one of two ways: 1) The sun
would explode and roast the earth or 2) Earth would be somehow saved from the destruction of the sun, but it would freeze
due to the lack of heat and light provided by the sun. A second theory about the inspiration of the poem is that Dante’s
Inferno inspired Frost. According to several historians, he wrote the poem after reading the section about how traitors are
frozen in ice as hell burns around them.
The imagery in the poem surrounds the tactile feelings attributed to the heat and the cold. Fire gives heat. A little heat is
pleasing and comfortable, but too much fire results in pain and death. Likewise, the cool nature of ice can be good in
moderation by soothing a sore muscle or cooling off the body on a hot day, but too much and the appendages are destroyed
through frostbite. Fire and Ice are also great forces in nature for change. Fire can destroy forests that have stood for
thousands of years in a matter of hours and Ice can rip apart mountains by seeping in as water and expanding as ice.
Using this imagery, Frost alludes that the human emotion of desire is much like fire. Like fire, desire feels good. However,
desire like fire, if allowed to run out of control is a destructive force. Likewise, the imagery of ice in connection to hate- hate
seeps in and expands. Hate's destructive nature rips apart lives and people by seeping in and expanding until it breaks bonds
that were once strong.
Extract Based Questions [3 Marks each]

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Some say the world will end in fire Some
say in ice.
hold with those who favour fire.
(a) What is the poet’s opinion of the world in these lines? [CBSE 2014] (b)
What is the poet’s opinion about the world?
(c) What is the contradictory opinion of public?
(d) How are ice and fire similar to each other though they have contradictory traits? [CBSE 2011] Answer:
(a) In the poet’s opinion the world will end in fire.
(b) According to the poet, the world will end in fire.
(c) The contradictory opinion of public is the debate whether the world will end in fire or ice.
(d) Both ice and fire are similar in the in the sense that both of them would destroy everything in the world.
18
Question 2.
But if it had to perish twice I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. (a)
What does ‘it’ refers to in the first line?
(b) What do you mean by ‘perish’?
(c) What does ice stand for?
(d) What would be the cause of destruction? [CBSE 2015] Answer:
(a) ‘It’ refers to the world.
(b) Perish means to die or to be destroyed.
(c) Ice stands for coldness.
(d) Ice or fire would be the cause of destruction.
Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for?
Answer:
The word ‘fire’ stands for desire. In the poem, it indicates all types of greed and lust. In today’s world, mankind’s greed is endangering the
very existence of the planet Earth. The word ‘ice’ in the poem indicates hatred and indifference which is as cold as ‘ice’.
Question 2.
How has Frost brought out the contrasting ideas in the poem? Answer:
‘Desire’ propels us in hot pursuit of something, hence, it is compared with fire. ‘Hatred’ makes us cold towards other’s feelings. The coldness
of ice can numb our senses. Similarly, the coldness of our hearts can numb our kindness. That is why ‘hatred’ has been compared with ice.
Question 3.
Write down the two different views about the end of the world? [CBSE 2012] Answer:
There is a debate that is going on about the end of the world. People say that the world will end in fire or in ice. World is transitory, nothing
is perennial in this universe.
Question 4.
How does Robert Frost caution the common man?
Answer:
Man is selfish, avaricious, lustful, indifferent and hateful. Robert Frost cautions the common man and says that he should not forget the
bitter reality that everything in this world is transitory and death is inevitable.
Question 5.
Why does the poet hold with those who favour fire?
Answer:
The poet takes side with those who believe that the world will be destroyed by fire. Frost connects fire with desire. According to the poet,
desire is powerful and would be a quick end. Moreover, the fact that he has had personal experience with desire leads him to first conclude
that the world will end in fire.
Question 6.
Write the sum and substance of the poem ‘Fire and Ice’.
Answer:
The crystal clear message that the poet is trying to give is that nothing in this world is eternal. Everything will perish either in fire or ice. We
should, thus, not forget this supreme reality and keep ourselves above all selfish matters.
Question 7.
Briefly write about the ideas about how the world will end. [CBSE2016] Answer:
The world will end as a direct result of either fire or ice. Some scientists believed that the world would be incinerated from its fiery core, while
others were convinced that the coming ice age would destroy all living things on the Earth’s surface.
Frost introduces a more emotional side, associating desire with fire and hatred with ice. The poem, thus, does not allow for any other
opinions in the black and white debate between fire and ice.
Question 8.
19
To say that for destruction ice is also great for the poet, what does ‘ice’ stand for? How is it sufficient to bring destruction? [ CBSE 2014]
Answer:
‘Ice’ symbolizes hatred. Hate is just as powerful as desire. While desire consumes quickly, hate can occur and linger in people’s minds and
hearts for years and sometimes even lifetimes. Hate consumers the hater perhaps even more than the person or group hated and it can ruin
lives. Hate can, thus, be very destructive and sufficient to bring destruction.
Question 9.
‘But if it had to perish twice’. How will the world perish twice? Answer:
According to the poet, the world will end due to the ‘fire’, which symbolizes desire. But if the world had to end twice then it will be due to the
hatred symbolized by ‘ice’. The poet feels that there is enough hatred in the world that is spreading among the people. This hatred will end
the world one day.
Question 10.
Which age old question does the poem revolves around? [CBSE 2013] Answer:
The poem revolves around the age old question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice. This is similar to another age old question,
whether it would be preferable to freeze to death or burn to death. The poet determines that either option would achieve its purpose
sufficiently well.
Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Question 1.
Discuss how extreme behavior can hasten the end of the world with respect to ‘Fire and Ice’. [CBSE 2013] Answer:
‘Fire’ symbolizes desire and ‘Ice’ symbolizes hatred. Desire is a kind of intense love or want that focuses people on getting and possessing and
acquiring. Our society is full of people who spend their lives working to get a bigger and better TV, a more stylish car or a more extravagant
house. This kind of desire can lead people to destruction in the form of bankruptcy or even broken relationships. Frost’s poem speaks on the
issue of greed corrupting people and even society. The power of hate, which is symbolized by ice is just as great as desire. While desire
consumes quickly hate produces shy yet restrained devastation. For instance, Kate is the root cause of racism and war. It can linger in
people’s mind for lifetimes. Moreover, it consumes the hater even more than the person hated. It thus, ruins lives.
Question 2.
The poem ‘Fire and Ice’, carries with it very deep thematic ideas. Elaborate on these darkest traits of humanity.
Answer:
Frost presents the two of the darkest traits of humanity; the capacity to hate and the capacity to be consumed by lust or desire. Of the two,
he attributes the greater of the two evils, is desire. In giving desire the foremost position with regard to the destruction of the world, Frost is
providing a powerful statement on the subject of greed and jealousy, saying that above all trait of humanity that is most likely to lead to its
demise. Desire represents the greatest problem that attributes to the cause of the war. Frost then attributes hatred with the same capacity
to do harm. However, he lessens the relative importance of hatred but still presents it as having the ability to lead to the destruction of the
world if it were to happen for a second time.
Question 3.
The poet presents two reasons which will lead to the destruction of the humanity. What values do you garner from the two possible causes
provided by him?
Answer:
The poet provides and deals with two possible causes for the end of the world. He points more towards the emotional and sentimental side
of the issue. As for him, fire denotes deep passion and burning desire, while ice is highlighted for its icy cold and hatred side of the emotions.
He favors both the arguments and says that either the deep burning passion or the cold hatred and jealousy factor will push the people to
walk on the path of destruction. The poet is sure of this destruction of humanity. He first talks about the destruction because of fire and in
case this fails, then ice will end the world. The love that people have for one another will turn into hatred. In race of climbing up and out do
one another, people will tend to hate each other. These negative emotions will become so strong that it will surpass all the love and lead to
the destruction of humanity.
Question 4.
How will the world end? Support your answer with scientific explanation. [CBSE 2014] Answer:
According to the scientists, the two reasons for the destruction of the world will be either fiery core or the ice age.
Some scientists believed that the world would be incinerated from its fiery core, while others were convinced that a coming ice age would
destroy all living things on the Earth’s surface. In other words, either the deep heat or fire under the Earth beds will lead to natural
20
calamities like volcano eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis which will one day end the world or the melting of ice from the snowy
mountains due to global warming will shrink the world. As a result, one day the entire world will die of the icy water. Frost, thus, tries to
warn people against the two greatest problems facing humanity and the consequences of human vices with an increased effectiveness.
NCERT Solutions for Class 10th: Fire and Ice (Poem) First Flight English
Page No: 15
Thinking about the Poem
1. There are many ideas about how the world will ‘end’. Do you think the world will end some day? Have you ever thought
what would happen if the sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?
Answer Yes I believe that this world will end some but when nobody knows. Whether the sun gets hot or it gets colder in
both the situations end of this world is sure.
2. For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for? Here are some ideas:
Greed Avarice Cruelty Lust
Conflict Fury Intolerance Rigidity
Insensitivity Coldness Indifference Hatred
Answer
‘Fire’ stands for greed, avarice, lust, conflict and fury. ‘Ice’ stands for cruelty, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness,
indifference and hatred.
3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Answer
The rhyme scheme of the poem is: a, b, a, a; b. c, b, c,b.
The contrasting ideas of ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ are presented using this rhyme scheme. He mentions that both fire and ice are
probable ends of this world. While he talks about how fire represents desire and can therefore be a cause of the end of the
world, he also mentions ice in between to symbolize that the coldness and indifference towards one another will also be
enough to end the world. In the second stanza, he says that he knows of enough hate in the world to be sure that even
destruction through ice would be sufficient to bring about the end of the world.
Poetic Devices Used in the Poem

Alliteration
Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice.
I hold with those who favor fire
Paradox
But if it had to perish twice
Symbolism
Fire – a symbol for desire
Ice – a symbol for hate Imagery
21
Fire and ice carry deep connotations, j Fire elicits the feeling of heat and light, but also burning J and pain. Ice
elicits the feeling of coldness, but also indifference and j intolerance.
Rhyme Scheme
abaabcbcb
‘Fire and Ice’ is a short poem by Robert Frost. In this poem, the poet refers to two predictions of how the world will
end. Some say it will end in fire whereas others say it will end in ice. According to the poet ‘fire’ stands for desire, greed,
avarice or lust. The more you try to satisfy them, the more they grow. There is no end to it. They spread rapidly like fire and
engulf your whole life. One becomes selfish and sometimes cruel also. On the other hand, ‘ice’ according to the poet, stands
for hatred, coldness and rigidity. One becomes insensitive and indifferent towards the feelings of others. The poet says that
both fire and ice are growing with such a rapid speed that the world would soon perish either way, in fire or in ice.
Question 1.
Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favour
fire. 1. (a) How do the people think of the world ? (1×4=4) (b)The
poet’s opinion is that the world ………… .
(c)’D esire’ here means …….. .
(d)Who is the poet of this poem ?
OR
2. (a) The fire signifies
(b)The rhyme scheme of the passage is …….. .
OR
(a)By ‘Fire’ the poet means ……. .
(b)By ‘ice’ the poet means ……… .
Answer:
(a) The people of the world think that the world will end in fire or
ice. (b) will end in fire, (c) endless greed.
(d) Robert.
OR
2. (a) greed, desire, avarice.
(b) The rhyme scheme is ab, aa.
OR
3. (a)By ‘fire’ the poet means ‘desire’, greed, avarice.
(b)By’ ice’ the poet means ‘indifference’, hatred, rigidity.
Question 2.
But if it had to perish twice (1×4=4)
I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great
1. (a) Who has composed the above lines ?
(b) ccording to the poet ‘ice’ symbolizes
(c) What does the word ‘perish’ mean in the above lines (d) What does the poet think ?
OR
2. (a) Who knows enough of hate ?
(b) What is great for destruction ?
(c) What is the rhyme scheme in this stanza ?
(d) What does the poet think enough of ?
Answer:
22
1. (a) Robert Frost has composed the above lines.
(b) According to the poet ‘ice’ symbolizes hatred, coldness and rigidity.
(c) The word ‘perish’ means ‘cease to exist’ or die.
(d) The poet thinks of hate.
OR
2. (a) The poet knows enough of hate.
(b) ‘ Ice’ is great for destruction.
(c) The rhyme scheme of this stanza is ab ab .
(d) The poet thinks enough of ‘hate’.
Short Answer Type Question (30-40 words & 2 marks each)
Question 1.
What does ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for and what is the general opinion regarding the world ? [Board Term-I, 2016-17, Set
4G1ZMWA]
Answer:
Fire stands for fury hatred, anger, cruelty; ice is symbolic of insensitivity coldness and intoIerance-General opinion-some say
ice, while others say fire will destroy the world. [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2016] Detailed Answer:
Fire stands for fury, desire, lust, anger, avarice, cruelty and grood. Ice is symbolic of hatred, Coldness, rigidity, insensitivity
and intolerance. The general opinion regarding the world is that the world will end in fire and some say ice. Both the two
reasons contrast each other and one equally opposite to each other. People who favour fire believe that it will be the heat
and passion which will end the world. On the other side some people think that it will be the ice which will freeze the world.
Long Answer Type Question (8 marks each)
Question 1.
What deep meaning does the poem ‘Fire and Ice’ carry in it ?
Answer:
The Poet has compared Frost to the dark side of humanity i.e., hatredness and lust. According to the poet lust is a greater
evil. Desire or lust is the cause of war. Hatredness is also harmful. So the poem ‘Fire and Ice’ represents that the two evils
hated and lust lead to the destruction of the world.
How does Robert Frost's poem 'Fire and Ice' reflect the Modern period?
Although Robert Frost wrote during the same period as the modernist poets, he had a fraught relationship with modernism and is more
closely affiliated with the English Georgian poets and the Southern Agrarians. While the modernists tended to be urban and cosmopolitan,
Frost's work was rural and regional. While the modernists experimented with free verse, Frost once said that "Writing free verse is like
playing tennis with the net down." While most modernist verse is characterized by dense allusiveness and complex language, Frost aims at
surface clarity and simplicity.
"Fire and Ice" has a regular meter and rhyme scheme and uses simple and direct language. It was first published in 1920. In terms of
its relationship with modernism, the closest parallel is the ending of Eliot's 1925 poem "The Hollow Men": This is the way the world
ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
In "Fire and Ice," the contrast of a dramatic conflagration with a slow freezing is similar to the "whimper" of Eliot's poem.
Both poets seem to be responding to aftermath of World War I (1914–1918), in which increasingly powerful weapons and global geopolitical
conflicts occurred on a radically new level, raising the possibility that human civilization could destroy itself. Rather than focusing on
23
geopolitics, Frost returns to the basic human emotions that cause conflict and turmoil, suggesting that the things that threaten the world are
not an exclusive condition of modernity but the universal character of the human heart and its capacity for unbridled passions.
In Frost's "Fire and Ice," how will the world end twice?
In Frost's "Fire and Ice" the world may possibly meet its end in two distinct ways. The first may be with fire; humankind's fiery passions,
based on beliefs and ideologies, may be the cause of conflict that brings the world to an end. The world may end, not because of
indifference, but to the contrary, because of strong feelings about long-held beliefs that different individuals or groups of individuals seek to
defend. Fiery, narrow-minded passion, without reasoned discourse, may be the downfall of the human race.
The second distinct way the world may end is with ice. Frost alludes to ice being akin to hate. It is cold-hearted thinking that is selfish and
doesn't take into account the Golden Rule - treating others as you would like to be treated.
Frost reveals that he has encountered, dealt with, and maybe even exhibited hate in his life:
"I think I know enough of hate"
Ice cold hatred is love for others 'waxing cold'. It is the opposite of fiery passion but produces the same destructive result for humankind.
In Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice," he claims that the world may end at the end of time in either fire and ice as the title suggests. This literally
refers to the scientific theories about whether the earth will come to an end through fire, like fire at its core or through ice. Metaphorically,
however, the fire is supposed to represent strong desire or passion. He says that he would rather die from excess passion - this is supposed to
have positive connotations. However, he notes, that if he had to die twice, he would die through ice. Ice here represents hatred or coldness of
heart. Too much passion can be destructive to a relationship but coldness, hatred can also destroy just as easily. Frost argues that he would
rather the fire than the ice.
How does the tone make the work stronger or the meaning more apparent in "Fire and Ice"?
Tone is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject. A speaker’s tone is significant in a poem, because poems derive much of their meaning
from tone. Although the tone is somewhat playful, it has an edge of the serious. This makes the poem powerful, because the reader is lured
in and then given the message.
In the beginning of the poem, the speaker compares two possible endings for the world: Armageddon (fire) or hate (ice). Clearly the world
will end one way or another! The juxtaposition of the different ideas and the use of simple rhyme make the poem playful. The topic is still
somewhat serious, but the use of metaphors makes it a little more whimsical.
Yet when it is time for the speaker to share his attitude for the subject, the tone turns more serious. He mentions “desire,” which is a tense
and powerful longing, and talks about if he were to “perish twice” it would be due to hate.

Is also great
And would suffice. (lines 6-9)
Hate, the speaker notes wryly, is just as dangerous as so-called Biblical Armageddon. People will destroy each other because they do not
love each other.
So despite the poem's playful tone in the beginning, it packs a serious punch in the end that makes the meaning more apparent. The reader
begins a playful poem, and then a moral is sprung- love one another, or the world will end sooner than you think.
Thinking about the poem "Fire and Ice," would you rather burn or freeze to death? Why? Has the idea of
this question become desensitized over the past one hundred years, especially in contemporary society?
If some comic book villain were to offer you the choice of freezing or burning to death, one should choose freezing, as it is probably the less
painful of the two choices. However, if you are studying the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost, you are not reading a comic book or
watching a simplistic movie, and thus the choices on offer have nothing to do with the relative physical discomfort involved in two ways of
dying.
24
The poem has to do with relationships, and the extremes of "burning" with lust, represented by Frost as death by fire or living with hatred, a
colder emotion. Both extremes of emotion can be painful. What Frost is suggesting in the poem, though, is not that one should choose either
one extreme or the other, but rather he is suggesting that emotional extremes in general are a bad thing, by their nature disruptive and
painful, tearing apart individuals and nations. Thus just as physical comfort requires a moderate temperature, somewhere between that of
fire and ice, so too emotional happiness requires moderation, neither fire nor ice.
The whole point of the poem is to present this as an ultimately meaningless choice. Whether the world comes to grief by fire or ice should not
really concern us in the slightest; whatever happens will happen, and there's absolutely nothing that anyone can do about it. So yes, I think
one could say that most people have indeed become desensitized to the idea.
Having said that, most people would probably choose to freeze to death, as it's much more difficult to imagine, whereas death by fire is so
much more common, and so we're acutely aware of just how much pain and suffering it involves. We're also aware of the damage caused by
the metaphorical fire of passionate desire and other intense emotions, to which Frost alludes in the poem. Being emotionally cold doesn't
have quite the same sting to it. So it's perfectly understandable that, given the choice, most of us would choose to exit this world looking like
a large popsicle.
How does the sound and sense work together in this poem?
Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice" combines a simple rhyme scheme with a rather dark message. The entirely of the poem reads as follows:
say in ice.
Is also great
And would suffice.
The poem features a rhyme scheme of ABAABCBCB, and the end rhymes themselves are fairly simple (e.g., fire, desire; hate, great). The basic
sound and rhythm of the poem belie a darker meaning, though. The tone of the poem sounds rather casual and conversational, but when we
look closely at what the speaker is contemplating, we see the contrast between the "sound" and the "sense," or meaning.
The speaker considers two possible ways the world could end: by burning up in a fire or by freezing in ice. He then thinks about which he
would prefer, or which would be worse or better. The speaker aligns "fire" with "desire," both in rhyme and in content; he claims his
experience with desire makes him think the world will end in fire. This suggests that the speaker has been figuratively burned by his desire,
and he therefore imagines fire to be more painful.
On the other hand, he considers what ice might imply, too. He associates ice with "hate," and he imagines that, based on his experience with
"hate," that ice would also be an appropriately painful end to existence. Basically, the speaker feels that either fire or ice could cause the
apocalypse, as both desire and hate, seemingly opposite emotions, can be equally painful.
Extract Based / comprehension test Questions and Answers of Fire and Ice
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. What will the world end in?
(A) fire (B) ice

25
(C) both (A) and (B) (D) none of the above
Ans. (C) both (A) and (B)
2. What does violent desire refer to?
(A) fire (B) ice.
(C) both (A) and (B) (D) none of the above
Ans. (A) fire
3. What does ‘ice’ symbolizes?
(A) love (B) hatred
(C) violent desire (D) all of the above
Ans. (B) hatred
4. What do some people think, the world will end in?
(A) fire (B) sun
(C) moon (D) rain
Ans. (A) fire
5. What does the poet think, the world will end in?
(A) love (B) ice
(C) both (D) none of the above
Ans. (B) ice
6. Can hatred destroy the world?
(A) yes (B) no
(C) maybe (D) may not be
Ans. (A) yes
7. According to Robert Frost, what will end one day
(A) fire (B) ice
(C) both (A) and (B) (D) the world
Ans. (D) the world
8. Who is the poet of the poem ‘Fire and Ice’?
(A) Robert Frost (B)William Cowper
(C) Ben Jonson (D) William Blake
Ans. (A) Robert Frost
COMPREHENSION OF STANZAS
26
Read the following stanzas and answer the questions that follow :
STANZA 1
Some say the world will end in fire [H..B.S.E. March 2017 (Set-A)] Some say in ice.
Questions :
(a) What do people think about the ending of the world?
(b) What is the poet’s opinion?
(c) What does ‘desire’ mean here?
(d) What is the rhyme scheme of this stanza?
(e) Name the poem and the poet.
Answers :
(a) Some people think that the world will end in fire. Others say that it will end in ice… (b)
The poet thinks it right that the world will end in fire.
(C) Here ‘desire’ means man’s passions and violence.
(d) The rhyme scheme of this stanza is a, b. a. a.
(e) Poem: Fire and Ice
Poet: Robert Frost
STANZA 2
But if it had to perish twice.
Is also great
And would suffice.
Questions :
(a) What does ‘it’ refer to here?
(b) How is ‘ice’ sufficient for destruction?
(C) What is the main idea of these lines?
(d) What is ice a symbol Of?
(e) What Is the rhyme scheme of this stanza?
Answers :
27
(a) Here ‘it’ refers to the ‘world’.
(b) ‘Ice’ symbolizes hatred. So hatred is sufficient for the world’s destruction.
(c) The main idea of these lines is that hatred can destroy the world.
(d) Ice is a symbol of hatred.
(e) The rhyme scheme of this stanza is ‘Ababa’.
Extract Based / comprehension test Questions and Answers of Fire and Ice
Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.
1. Some say the world will end in fire Some
say in ice.
(a) What do people think of the world?
(b) What is the poets opinion about the world?
(c) Which two things will destroy the world?
(d) What is the prediction of the people about how the world will come to an end?
Ans. (a) The world will be destroyed with fire and ice.
(b) The poet thinks that we should check our growing desires and love our fellow-beings.
(c) Hatred and Desire.
(d) Some people say that the world will come to an end in a fire while others say it will come to an end in ice.
2. But if it had to perish twice,
Is also great
And would suffice.
(a) Why does the poet feel that ‘ice’ is also great for destruction?
(b) What is the rhyme scheme of this stanza of the poem?
(c) The two things that the poet thinks are good enough for destruction are (d) What does ‘it’ stand for in the first line?
Ans. (a) Ice equates with `hatred’, which is enough to destroy the world.
(b) a b a b a.
(c) fire and ice which means ‘hatred’ and `desire’ (d) `it’ here stands for the world.
VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

28
[Answer in one sentence each ]
Q.1, What is ‘fire’ a symbol of? [H.B.S.E. March 2017 (Set-C)]
Ans. ‘Fire is a symbol of lust and endless desires.
Q.2.What is ‘Ice’ a symbol of? [H.B.S.E. March 2017 (Set-C)]
Ans. ‘ice is a symbol of hatred.
Q..3. What will fire do to the world?
Ans. Fire will put the world to an end. Q.4.
What will the world end in?
Ans. The world will end in the fire as well as ice.
Q.5. Why does the poet hold with those who favour fire?
Ans. The poet holds with those who favour fire because the lust for material things is increasing fastly. Q.6.
Why do some people say that the world will end in ice?
Ans. They say so because hatred among people is increasing fastly. Q.7.
Who is the poet of the poem ‘Fire and Ice’?
Ans. Robert Frost.
Short Answer Type Important Questions
Answer the following questions in 30-40 words :
1. What do you think would be enough to destroy the world? Can Fire and Ice contribute to it?
Ans. Our desires and hatred would be enough to destroy the world. According to the poet, `fire’ represents ‘desire’ and `ice’ represents `hatred’. Desires like fire
spread rapidly and engulf one’s whole life. Similarly, ‘hatred’ fills life with poison.
2. What is the underlying idea of the poem `Fire and Ice’?
Ans. The poet equates fire with `desire’ and ice with ‘hatred’. Both of these are growing with enormous speed. If we don’t check them from growing, the world
will perish. So we must restrain our desires and love our fellow-beings.
3. Which two ideas about how the world will end have been mentioned in the poem? Which idea does the poet support more?
Ans. The two ideas mentioned are that the world will end in fire or in ice. Though the poet thinks both are great for destruction, yet he seems to favour the idea of
the destruction of the world in a fire a little more than in ice.
4. What does ‘fire’ and ice’ stand for and what is the general opinion regarding the world?
Or
According to the poet, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ represent? Do you agree with him?
Ans. According to the poet, ‘fire’ represents desire and ‘ice’ represents hatred. I do agree with the poet. Desires like fire spread rapidly and engulf one’s whole
life. Similarly ‘hatred’ fills the whole life with poison. It makes one hard-hearted and cruel. Q.5. What do people think about the ending of the world? What
does the poet think?

29
Ans. Some people think that someday the world will end in fire. On the other hand. some people say. that it will end in ice. The poet has tasted both the fire and
the ice. He thinks that the world will end in fire. Here fire stands for the tire of desire. Q.6. How will the world end twice?
Ans. The poet says that both fire and ice are destructive. Here fire stands for the heat of desire and ice stands for hatred He thinks that our violent desires will
end the world. If it survives, it will be ruined by hatred.
Q7. What is the main idea of the poem?
Ans. The main idea of the poem is that there are violent passions in the world. They are destructive. But mare distinctive Mail those violent desires is the hatred
between man and man. The poet thinks that one day this hatred will destroy the world.
Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words each Answer the following questions in 100-120 words :
1. How does the poem depict the two contrasting ideas— ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? Can hatred destroy us and the world? Explain bringing out values which can make this
world a better place to live in.
Ans. (i) In this poem, Robert Frost refers to two contrasting ideas—Fire and Ice as predictions of how the world will end. According to him, some people to say
that the world will end in a fire while some others hold that this will end in ice. The poet equates desire with fire and hatred with ice. Both the desire and hatred
are growing with such a rapid speed that the world will come to an end either of the ways.
(ii) Yes, hatred can destroy us and the world. Intolerance in behaviour creates hatred that leads to fury and cruelty. One becomes hard-hearted and insensitive to
the feelings of others.
(iii) Love, brotherhood, tolerance, peace, contentment, sensitivity, benevolence, generosity among people can make this world a better place to live in.
2. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem in the first stanza is a, b; a, band in the second stanza it is – a, b, a, b, a. The lines ending with the same rhythm have the
same idea but the line that ends with a different note has the contrasting idea. In the first stanza, the first, third and fourth lines end with the words fire, desire,
fire – same rhythm but the second line ends with the word ‘ice’, a different note, also it contrasts with ‘fire’.
Thus the poet has brought out the contrasting ideas in the poem by using different rhythm.
What is the central idea of this poem?

One could argue that the poem's central idea is that it's largely a waste of time to speculate on how the world might end. The speaker
appears to be suggesting that, whether the world comes to grief through fire or ice, it doesn't really matter. Destruction is destruction; if the
world ends through fire or ice then there's absolutely nothing we can do about it, one way or the other. This is just one of those many
questions about which we speculate to fill up our free time. Yet the speaker disposes of the question pretty quickly by drawing attention to
the equally destructive capabilities of fire and ice and leaves it at that.
Although the speaker doesn't know—or care to know—how the world will end, he does know something about desire. The suggestion here is
that we should concentrate on dealing with questions relating to our own conduct and behavior instead of engaging in idle speculation
concerning the precise nature of the apocalypse.
Ostensibly, the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost is about the hypothetical end of the world, with the speaker asserting that it will be
destroyed either by fire or by ice. One could argue, though, that the central idea of this poem is that fire and ice are equally destructive, in
their own ways.
We can also look at what fire and ice represent within this poem: the speaker says he "holds with those that favor fire" because of "what I've
tasted of desire." Fire, then, here represents burning passion; meanwhile, ice is, in his view, also sufficiently destructive to destroy the world,
a view he bases on knowing "enough of hate." So, if hate and passion are both extremely destructive forces, we might infer that what seem
to be at first polar opposites (fire and ice) are actually far more similar than they are different. It does not matter how a thing is destroyed, it
only matters that it is destroyed.
Theme of Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Global warming: Frost’s theory about the destruction of earth by fire, if taken literally, bears many similarities with the currently prevalent
theory about global warming. Environmentalists say that the earth is going through a process of heating because of which atmospheric
30
temperatures are rising steadily every year. As a result of this rise in temperatures, weather conditions all over earth are changing like never
before.
Heat waves are killing people in Europe and in Asia every year. Moreover, tectonic plates beneath the earth’s surface are also moving rapidly
and as a consequence, earthquakes are happening frequently. The recent earthquake in Nepal is an example of this. Lastly, the sea level is
rising at an alarming rate due to the melting of glaciers and the polar ice caps. Because of all these phenomena, the earth will soon be
destroyed.
Ice age: Frost’s theory about the destruction of the earth by ice, if taken literally, bears many similarities with another theory that
environmentalists are currently contemplating. This theory says that the earth will experience another ice age like the one that supposedly
led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. All presently habitable lands will freeze over, and it will be too cold for human beings to survive. Not
just man but almost every other species will also find this cold unbearable and will die out as a consequence.
Power of desire: Frost compares fire with human desire. That is perhaps why passion is often said to be fiery. The poet knows that love and
desire can make a man take extreme measures. Man’s biggest desire is to possess – to possess wealth, or even to possess another person.
This desire breeds covetousness, greed, envy and jealousy. Hence desire and all its allied emotions can make a man kill others to get what he
wants. When in the hold of a fervent desire, man loses his capability for rational thinking. He reverts to his instinct and sometimes his
instincts tell him that nothing is too heinous for the achievement of the purpose. That is why crimes of passion are easily relatable.
Power of hatred: Frost compares ice to hatred. That is perhaps why when we hate someone and we choose to ignore them, it is said that we
are giving them the cold shoulder. However, this is not always the case. Instead of ignoring the person we hate, we can decide to take
matters into our own hands. Thus hatred can also lead us to kill. Let us take the example of Hitler, who appeared a few decades after this
poem was written. His hatred for the Jewish race made him commit mass murder.
Tone of Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

The tone of this poem is not adequate to convey the seriousness of its subject matter. The poet is talking about the apocalypse, but his tone
is rather casual. It is as if the end of the world were a game that human beings indulge in for fun, and that they play with two playthings only
– with fire and with ice.
Fire and ice are both dangerous in themselves, as the victims of incineration and frost bite will attest. But what lurks behind these elements
is even more dangerous. Frost makes it seem that human beings love and hate without any care for the consequences of these strong
emotions. However, the fact that these very emotions can lead to the extinction of the human species is something he only mentions in
passing. The gravity of the situation are not revealed to any great extent by him.
Conclusion
What appeals to readers about Frost’s “Fire and Ice” is that its words are relatively simple, and they do not in any way seem menacing or
threatening. Yet the message he gives us through these words is an important one. He tells us not to be overwhelmed by desire or by hatred,
and instead to practice moderation in our involvement with others of our kind. The poet’s symbolism is very apt, his diction lucid, and his
meaning profound.

3 Fire and Ice

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

3 Fire and Ice

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1

Fire and Ice

1.About the author

Compression of Dante's Inferno

Analysis of Poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire, Some

Analysis of Fire and Ice

More Analysis of Fire and Ice

Meter (Metre in British English)

Let's look closely:

Some say / the world / will end / in fire, (spondee+3 iambs)

Symbolism of the Poem 'Fire and Ice' by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire, Some

Rhyme Scheme: A-B-A, A-B-C, B-C-B

Symbolism and Theme

From what I've tasted of desire

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

And would suffice.

Summary of the Poem Fire and Ice

Some say in ice.

I hold with those who favor fire.

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great And

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Summary

Some say the world will end in fire, Some

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

And would suffice.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Fire and Ice Analysis

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

And would suffice.

Analysis and Historical Context

Fire and Ice Poem Meaning

Fire and Ice Poem Analysis Line by Line

Fire and Ice Symbolism

“Ice” is coldness and hatred.

Analysis of Poem “Fire and Ice”

The intrinsic elements are as follow:

Comment on the literary devices in "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.

Describe the imagery in "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.

Extract Based Questions [3 Marks each]

Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Thinking about the Poem

Greed Avarice Cruelty Lust

Conflict Fury Intolerance Rigidity

Insensitivity Coldness Indifference Hatred

Poetic Devices Used in the Poem

1. (a) Robert Frost has composed the above lines.

Short Answer Type Question (30-40 words & 2 marks each)

Not with a bang but a whimper.