Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost : ‘Fire and Ice’ by Robert Frost explores a universal interest in the apocalypse. It has always been a phenomenon capable of capturing people’s minds. Throughout history, there has always been a seeming fascination with how the world will end. In recent years, these discussions have centered around nuclear disaster, immense climate change, and general cynicism.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Two thousand years ago (give or take), the Revelations chapter was 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.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

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 the 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 a 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.

Fire and Ice Analysis

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.

As a 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.

Historical Context of Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

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 matters 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.

Historical Context

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 by Robert Frost Question Answers

Fire and Ice – CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Book Poem 2 Fire and Ice Summary and detailed explanation of the poem along with the meanings of difficult words. Also, the explanation is followed by the literary devices used. All the exercises and Questions Answers are given at the back of the lesson have been covered.

Fire and Ice By Robert Frost

Fire and Ice Poem Introduction

Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice” expresses the profound idea that the world would end in either of two ways, either by ice or fire. Both the components are compared with self-destructing human emotions: hatred and desire. The poem, very artistically, underpins the philosophy that we let our emotions rule us and if don’t control them they will surely destroy everything around us. Similarly, he thinks fire and ice, both are just as competent in bringing the world to a catastrophic end.

Fire and Ice Poem Explanation

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.

Word meanings

Desire- a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen
Favour- approval, support

The poem expresses the profound idea that the world would end in either of two ways, either by ice or fire. One group is of the opinion that someday the Earth’s core will get so heated up that it would lead to fire destroying the earth’s surface. On the other hand, the second group says that if the temperature goes down to an extent that makes life on Earth impossible, it would have the same catastrophic effect. The poet then compares fire and ice with the destructive features of human emotions; desire and hatred. He says that from what he is aware about “fiery desires”, he would favour the ones who say that it would be fire. By saying so, he brings about the idea that human beings let their emotions rule them and the consequence of unmonitored longing is chaos.

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.

Word meanings of Fire and Ice

Perish- die
Suffice- be sufficient

Then by not waving off the first option of fire, he considers if the world has to expire twice, ice would be equally competent in ending it. He brings about a contrast between “ice” and “hatred”. The human capability of insensitivity and hatred has the potential for inner destruction. Though slow and steady, it has the same effect that desire has on us. So if given an option between fire and ice, ice would be just as good as fire to destroy the world.

Fire and Ice Literary devices

1. Rhyming scheme- Aba abc bcb

2. Assonance- it is repetition of vowel sounds in same line. The repetition is at different places in different words. Example- The long sound of “o” in “I hold with those who favour fire”

3. Alliteration- alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two or more closely placed words. Example- The sound of “f” in “favour fire”, “w” in “world will”

4. Imagery- Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Example- “Some say the world will end in fire” “To say that for destruction ice Is also great”

5. Anaphora- the repetition of a word or expression at the start of two or more consecutive lines. Example – “Some say” is repeated at the start of lines 1 and 2.

6. Personification- Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. In this poem, “fire” and “ice” are capable of destruction. Thus, the poet personifies fire and ice by giving them mind and power to destroy anything.
7. Enjambment- it is defined as the thought or clause that does not come to an end at a line break, rather it moves over to the next line. Example- “From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire”

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Summary

Fire and Ice Summary – Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice” is a strong symbolic poem where the fire is used as the emotion of desire and ice, that of hatred. He has used the idea of two groups who have their own possible explanation for the end of the world. One is of the opinion that fire alone can destroy each and every possibility of life on Earth while the other thinks that if ice as a result of extremely low temperatures could cover the earth’s surface, it would lead to the end of the world. Both the components are compared with self-destructing human emotions: desire and hatred.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost poem Summary

The poet is original of the opinion that he has been very closely associated with the “fiery desires” and considers it capable of bringing human beings on the verge of destruction. Thus, he considers fire as more competent for destruction. But then he thinks that “icy hatred” is just as capable of ruining humans, though slowly and steadily. Therefore, if Earth was to end twice, ice would be just as good as fire.

If a fire would lead to rapid destruction, ice would lead to silent damage. Similarly, if the fire is pure passion, ice is pure reason. Thus, the poem, very artistically, underpins the philosophy that we let our emotions rule us and if don’t control them they will surely bring us all on the verge of chaos.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Question Answers

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?

Unfortunately, the world is going to end one day and there is nothing we can do about it. There are many ideas as to how it will end but one can’t say surely. The reason that life exists only on Earth is that the circumstances and temperature is apt to make it possible. If the sun gets so hot one day that it is at the verge of bursting, it would lead to rapid destruction as there would be fire everywhere. Conversely, if it grows colder and colder, there will be ice everywhere on Earth and life in any form would not be able to sustain at such low temperatures.

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

According to Frost, ‘fire’ stands for greed, conflict, fury, cruelty, lust and avarice whereas ‘Ice’ stands for insensitivity, coldness, intolerance, indifference, rigidity and hatred.

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Question Answers

3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?

The rhyme scheme of the poem is “aba abc bcb”. The poet has used the rhyming beautifully to bring about contrasting ideas in the poem. He has used the ideas of two groups who believe that the world would come to a catastrophic end either as a result of fire or ice. Simultaneously, he portrays these two essential components as features of destructive human emotions: desire and hatred. Just like fiery desires and icy hatred can cause damage to an individual in an irreparable manner, fire and ice can lead the world at the verge of chaos and thus, apocalypse.

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