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Fire and Ice - PDF

The document provides context and analysis of Robert Frost's short poem "Fire and Ice". It discusses how the poem was likely inspired by a conversation Frost had where it was suggested the world could end by the sun exploding or the earth freezing. The poem uses fire and ice as symbols - fire representing passion and desire, ice representing hatred and reason. It leaves the reader to ponder whether the world will end through passion or hatred. The summary analyzes the origins and symbolism of the poem in 3 sentences.

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865 views

Fire and Ice - PDF

The document provides context and analysis of Robert Frost's short poem "Fire and Ice". It discusses how the poem was likely inspired by a conversation Frost had where it was suggested the world could end by the sun exploding or the earth freezing. The poem uses fire and ice as symbols - fire representing passion and desire, ice representing hatred and reason. It leaves the reader to ponder whether the world will end through passion or hatred. The summary analyzes the origins and symbolism of the poem in 3 sentences.

Uploaded by

Ria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FIRE AND ICE - ROBERT FROST

 SUMMARY:

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.

Robert Frost, in his own inimitable way, chose both. The poem expresses this dualism in a
typical rhythmic fashion, using a modified version of the rhyming scheme known as
terzarima. 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.

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 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.

From the 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.

The third line, along with the fourth and sixth, reveals the first person speaker, keen to let the
reader in on his idea of things; his worldview. This is a poem of opinion, but opinion brought
about by personal experience.

Everyone knows the world will end at some time but no one knows how. This poem states
that fire or ice, are 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.

 QUESTIONS:

(1) What do people think about the end of this world? What is the poet’s opinion?

According to some people “fire” symbolized by uncontrolled passions and desire will destroy
this world whereas others believe that “ice”, symbolized by hatred and cold reason will be the
cause of the end of the world. Like the former group, the poet believes that fire will be the
cause of the destruction of the world.

(2) What will be the cause of the end of this world if it has to perish twice?

The poet feels that fire will cause the end of the existing world but if the world has to perish
twice, then it will be ice that will be the cause of the end of this world.

(3) ‘I’ve tasted of desire”. Why does the poet say so?

The poet is familiar with the fire of passions and desire in love. He knows that they are
uncontrolled desires and lead to our destruction. He sides with those who believe that fire will
be the cause of destruction.

(4) In the poem, what does ice stand for?

Ice stands for coldness in people’s hearts, indifference and inability to bond with fellowmen.

(5) How does the poet ‘know enough of hate’?

The poet realizes that cold reasoning can lead to insensitivity, rigidness and intense hatred.
This can be disastrous and lead to the end of the world.

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