Scribd
Upload
19 views

Fire and Ice

Uploaded by

mdusuf25nsn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
19 views

Fire and Ice

Uploaded by

mdusuf25nsn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

FIRE AND ICE-ROBERT FROST

Learning Objectives
 To enhance the vocabulary
 To answer textual and inferential questions
 To analyze the theme of the poem and write a short paragraph on it.
 To list the poetic devices.

Vocabulary
Favour - To feel or show approval or preference for.
Perish - To die, especially in a violent or sudden way.
Suffice - adequate.

Summary
Fire and ice are a compact poem written by Robert Frost. It expresses the
profound idea that the world would end in either of two ways- by fire or by ice.
People are divided in this issue. Some believe that fire will become the cause of
the end and others think that ice will end the world. Both the components are
compared with self-destructing human emotions: hatred and desire. He says
that from what he is aware about ―fiery desires, he would favor the ones who
say that it would be fire. But later he says that Ice or hatred, created by cold
reasoning is also equally capable of destroying the world. Therefore, if Earth
was to end twice, ice would be just as good as fire. If fire would lead to rapid
destruction, ice would lead to silent damage.

Extract Based Comprehension Questions

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.
Questions:
(a) Who wrote these lines?
(b) What is the poet ‘s opinion about the world?
(c) What is the contradictory opinion of the public?
How are ice and fire similar, though they have contradictory traits?
Answers:
(a) Robert Frost
(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.
Both ice and fire are similar in that both would destroy everything in the world.

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 it would suffice.
Questions:
(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 two causes of destruction?
Answers:
(a) ‘I’ ‘refers to the world.
(b) Perish means to die or to be destroyed.
(c) Ice stands for coldness or hatred.
(d) Ice or fire would be the cause of destruction.

Answer the following questions in about 30 to 40 words. (Short


Answer Question)

1. For Frost what do fire and ice stand for?


Ans: The word fire stands for desire. In the poem it says all types of greed and
lust of man. In today's world, mankind’s greed is endangering the very
existence of the planet Earth. The word “ice” in the poem says hatred and
indifference which is as cold as “ice‟. Cold indifference and hate can be equally
destructive.

2. 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 would be due to the hatred
symbolized by 'ice'.
Ans: The poet feels there is enough hatred in the world spreading among the
people. This hatred will end the world one day.

3. How does Robert Frost caution the common person?


Ans: man is selfish, greedy, lustful, indifferent and hateful. Robert Frost
cautions the common person and says that he should not forget the bitter
reality that everything in this world is transitory, and death is inevitable which
cannot be stopped.

Long Answer Question (100-120 words)


1.What do the metaphors of Ice and Fire convey to the reader? Elaborate. What
is the message given by the poet?
Ans: 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 on the destruction of the world, Frost is providing a powerful
statement on greed and jealousy, saying that above all trait of humanity that is
most likely to lead to its demise. Desire is the greatest problem attributed to
the war's cause. Frost then attributes hatred with the same ability 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 a
second time.
Theme of the poem
The destructive power of human desire and the inevitable end of the world
brought on by either fire (passion/desire) or ice (hatred/indifference) are the
themes of Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice.” The poem examines the
possibility that either extreme emotion or total indifference could bring about
the end of the world.
Poetic Devices
 Fire and ice – Antithesis
 I hold with those who Favour fire – Assonance
 Some say – Anaphora
 world will- Alliteration
 “Some say the world will end in fire-Imagery
“To say that for destruction ice Is also great”-Imagery
 ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ as metaphors for the human emotions related to
desire and hatred. -Metaphor.

Self -Evaluation

With the With the help On


help of of teacher and my
peer textbook own
I can answer textual
and inferential
questions.
I can find the theme of
the poem and write a
short note on it.
I can list the poetic
devices.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy