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 favour 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

. ‘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.

Lines 1-2
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.
Lines 3-4
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.

Lines 5-9
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.

• Theme of the poem:

• 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 temperatures are rising steadily
every year. As a result of this rise in
temperatures, weather conditions all over earth
are changing like never before.

• 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..

• Summary
• Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice” is a strong
symbolic poem where 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 extreme 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. The poet is originally 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 fire would lead to rapid
destruction, ice would lead to silent damage.
Similarly, if 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.

• Poetic Devices: Stanza 1

• i. Assonance- Prominent sound of a
single vowel throughout the sentence.
• Example- The prominent sound of 'o'
in "I hold with those who favour fire."
• ii. Alliteration- It is the repetition of a
letter at the start of closely placed
words.
• Example- 1. Letter 'f' in "favour fire"
• 2. Letter 'w' in "world will"
• iii. Imagery- It is used to make
readers perceive things that involve
their senses. Throughout the stanza
we imagine things because of the
strong visual elements. The speaker
also used words like - some say;
tasted desire, which again use our
senses.
• iv. Anaphora- It is the repetition of a
word at the start of two or more
consecutive lines.
• Example - "Some say" is repeated at
the beginning of lines 1 and 2.
• v. Personification- It means to give
human qualities to inanimate objects.
In this poem, the poet portrays that
fire is capable of destruction. Thus,
the poet is personifying fire by giving
 it power to destroy anything and
everything.
• vi. Enjambment- It is defined as a
clause that does not come to an end at
a line break and keeps moving over to
the next line.
• Example- From what I've tasted of
desire
• I hold with those who favor fire
• vii. Antithesis - The poet has used two
words opposite in meaning in the
stanza - fire and ice.
• viii. Symbolism -
• 1. The Word fire has been used as a
symbol of desire.
• 2. The phrase end of the word is here
a symbol for self-destruction of
humans. The poet mentions that fire is
enough for the world to end that
simply means that desire is enough
for self destruction of a human.
• ix. Metaphor - The poet compares fire
with desire.

Poetic Devices: Stanza2.

i. Imagery- It is used to make readers
perceive things that involve their senses.
Throughout the stanza we imagine things
because of the strong visual elements.
Example- To say that for destruction ice
Is also great, here the poet has used the
word say, which again involves our sense
of speaking.
ii. Personification- It means to give
human qualities to inanimate objects. In
this poem, the poet portrays that ice is
capable of destruction. Thus, the poet is
personifying ice by giving it power to
destroy anything and everything.
iii. Symbolism - The word "ice" has been
used as a symbol of hatred.
iv. Metaphor - The poet compares ice
with hatred.

Important Questions
• 1.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.
.
• 2.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. Poet
 has tasted both and he thinks that world will
end in fire.
•
• 3.How does Robert Frost caution the
common man?
• Answer:
Man is selfish, avaricious, lustful, indifferent
andhateful. 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
• 4.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.

• 5.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’ symbolises 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 consumes
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.
• 6. What message does the poet give to the
reader?
• Answer: Once Robert Frost claimed, “my
poem begins in delight but ends in wisdom”.
The poem ‘Fire and Ice’ echoes the above
statement. In this poem, the poet considers
the age-old question whether the world will
end in fire or in ice. It is quite interesting
that the poet does not give his own opinion
in this regard.
• It is meaningless to ask which one is
stronger as we know both of them are
equally harmful to the world. We can
associate fire with lust, greed, avarice and
intolerance, whereas ice can be associated
with hatred and indifference. The fire of lust
and greed gets publicity, but the coldness of
hatred is also dangerous as it is a silent
killer. All of such black sides of human
 nature can obstruct the progress of human
civilization.
7. Write a brief note on how Frost deals with
the theme in his poems.
• Answer: The poetic themes in Frost’s poems
are beaten track but his handling of them is
unique. To Frost, the incident is not so
important, but he gives importance to its
dramatic possibilities. Truth for Frost is not
a philosophical concept, rather it is a rational
observation of facts and their representation
in a direct way with intimacy. This is why,
there is so little of philosophy in Frost and
so much of wit and wisdom. The poet leads
his reader towards wisdom by giving him
some pleasure at the very outset.
• 8. How does the poem depict the two
contrasting ideas— ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? Can
hatred destroy us and the world? Explain in
detail.
• Answer: (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 say that the
world will end in a fire, while some say 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. Love, brotherhood, tolerance, peace,
contentment, sensitivity, benevolence,
generosity among people can make this
world a better place to live in.
•
•
Self Assessment Test
Answer in 40-50 words
i ‘Dust of Snow’ is one of Frost’s most loved
poems. Elaborate why you think this is so.
ii The poem evokes a sense of black and white.
Justify.
iii The crow and hemlock are usually used as
negative references in literature. How is this
different in this poem?
iV . The tone of the speaker contrasts with the
seriousness of the subject matter. Justify.
V. Fire and Ice projects a pessimistic outlook.
Comment.
VI. Evaluate the line- Some say the world will
end in fire/Some say in ice- in the context of
volcanic eruptions, forest fires, meteor
collisions, melting ice caps etc
.
 Answer in 100-120 words (beyond text and
across texts)
i As a crow you feel highly injured by the
incorrect perception humans have about your
species. Imagine yourself to be a crow and
write your opinion about this prejudice. Make a
case for breaking stereotypes.

ii Imagine that Frost is of present day and has

been invited to write for an ezine - “Teen Talk”.
He chooses to draw upon his experience with
the crow and the dusting of snow to share his
thoughts on ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’. As
Frost, express your thoughts for the e-zine.

iii. Imagine that Nelson Mandela read ‘Fire and

Ice’. As Mandela, write a diary entry associating
the impact of the troubled history of South
Africa with the idea expressed in the poem. You
may begin like this: 12 10 May 1994, Tuesday
10 p.m. Today, when I am the President of
South Africa, I can’t help recalling Robert
Frost’s ‘Fire and Ice’………………...(continue)
………………….
iv. Most of your classmates, like Frost, feel that
man’s greed and rage or hate, would lead the
world to its destruction. You feel that the ‘fire
and ice’ in Mankind can be addressed to create
a harmonious world. Write a speech, for your
classmates, expressing your belief/s with
respect to the poem