Rajam Krishnamurthy Public School

Fire and Ice – Notes

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?

Ans. Yes, I believe that this world will end some day but nobody knows when 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

Ans. FIRE: greed, avarice, lust, conflict, fury, intolerance

ICE: insensitivity, cruelty, coldness, indifference, rigidity, hatred

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

Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem is aba abc bcb. The two contrasting ideas – fire and
ice are totally supported by the rhyme scheme of the poem as different alphabets carry
different ideas expressed in the poem.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Extract-based Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the question that follow.

1. Some say the world will end in fire.

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I held with those who favour fire.

(a) What is the central idea of the given stanza?

(b) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE.

The poet highlights that mutual understanding and sympathy for one and all can help in
establishing peace on the Earth.

(c) Select the most suitable option to complete the sentence that the stanza
demonstrates.
Ice probably refers to ____________________ in which everything will sink.

1) melting of glaciers and rising of sea-level

2) man’s immense faith in nature

3) culture and civilisation since ages

4) man's indifferent conduct towards nature

(d) The repetition of 'same say’ in the two consecutive lines in the stanza shows that the
poet used ___________________ in the given lines.

(i) simile

(ii) metaphor

(iii) metaphor anal anaphora

(iv) alliteration and anaphora

Ans: (a) The central idea of the given stanza is that man's parochial attitude towards
man will destroy the world.

(b) True

(c) (iv) man's indifferent conduct towards nature

(d) (iv) alliteration and anaphora

2. But if it has to perish twiсе.

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

(a) What does ‘it’ refer to here?

(b) What does the ‘ice’ symbolise?

(i) Happiness

(ii) Freshness

(iii) Hatred

(iv) Passion

(c) The main idea of the above lines is that:

(i) Love can destroy the world

(ii) hatred can destroy the world

(iii) human’s desire can destroy the world

(iv) Corruption in the world will destroy everything

d) When the poet says that for destruction ice is also great, can we infer that he likes
ice?

Ans: (a) Here ‘It’ refers to the world.

(b) (iii) Hatred

(c) Hatred can destroy the world

(d) Poet says that ice is great for destruction but it does not mean that he likes it. He
wants to say that it is equally powerful as fire that symbolises desire.

3. Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with these 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.

(a) Choose the CORRECT statement from the following about the given poem.

(i) Fire and Ice are images - they help the readers visualise the power of nature over
man.

(ii) Fire and Ice are symbols - not of natural disasters, but of humanity’s ability to create
disasters of its own.

(iii) Fire and Ice are elements – not of nature but man-made and possess the ability to
create havoc for mankind.

(iv) Fire and ice are agents they change the thinking of mankind from negative to positive
and bring harmony.

(b) Select the option that correctly classifies the connotations for fire and Ice, as
suggested in the poem.
(1) rage (2) violence (3) indifferences (4) hate (5) greed

(i) Fire-(3), (4); Ice-(1), (2), (5)

(ii) Fire-(2), (5); Ice-(1), (3), (4)

(iii) Fire-(1), (3), (5); Ice-(2), (4)

(iv) Fire-(1), (2), (4): Ice-(3), (5)

(d) How will the world perish twice?

(e) The poet heard divided opinions about the way the world would end in likelihood.
(True/False)

Ans: (a) Fire and ice are elements-not of nature but man-made and possess the ability
to create havoc for mankind.

(b) Fire-(2), (5); Ice - (1), (3), (4)

(c) According to the poet, if the world is not destroyed completely by fire which means
human desire or lust, then the world might get destroyed by the ice which means hatred
in second time. And in this way, the world will perish twice.

(d) True

Short Answer Questions (40-50 words: 3 Marks each)

1. How does the use of language help in making the poem effective and meaningful?

Ans: Frost chooses words from the everyday talk. The poem is full of colloquial tone and
Conversational language. The contrast between simple and precise vocabulary, and the
vague gravity of its subjects makes the poem serious and meaningful. The abrupt
beginning of the opening sets the tone of the speech and makes the poem vivid and
lively.

2. Comment on the rhyme scheme of the poem.

Ans. The rhyme scheme of the poem is: aba abc bcb.

This rhyme scheme is used to present the contrasting ideas associated with ice and fire.
When the poet talks about fire, it can be understood that the fire of lust has the
potential to destroy the world. At the same time, it is shown that the coldness of hatred
is equally harmful to the peaceful existence.

3. Comment on the ending of the poem.

Ans. The poet discusses the destructive feature of human emotions. He uses the
symbol of fire and ice to show how desires and hatred contribute to make the world
stand at the verge of chaos. He concludes the poem by reiterating the fact that these
powerful emotions will eventually drag the world toward a catastrophic end. And this
could be repeated even by the powerful medium – ice.

4. “I think I know enough of hate”. What does the poet know about hate?

Ans. The poet says that he knows enough of hate, but we are not told he has first-hand
knowledge about hate or he experiences it at a distance. But the poet’s intuitive power
reminds him that it is no less dangerous than the fire of lust. It can also play a trick upon
anybody as it is a silent killer.

5. Do you think that either fire and ice has the power to ruin the world?

Ans. Yes, I do believe that either of fire and ice has the power to ruin the world. We
believe that the world will come to an end someday, but nobody knows when and how.
The world may be destroyed if it becomes hot by the heat of the sun. It may also
crumble under intense cold. In both cases, the destruction of the world is certain.

6 . The tone of the speaker contrasts with the seriousness of the subject matter.
Justify

Ans. In the poem, the speaker is presenting his personal opinion about the
possibilities of the end of the world, which Is a serious matter. But the Speaker’s
tone is casual and conversational. Throughout the poem, he is using casual words
like ‘some say’, ‘I hold with’, ‘I think I know’, etc.

7. ‘Fire and Ice’ projects a pessimistic outlook. Comment.

Ans. The poet after observing the world and its ways, has expressed ideas of how
the world will end. Some people believe that the world will end. Some people
believe that the world will be destroyed by fire, while others argue that it will be
frozen. The poet, has not been pessimistic in his outlook, but realistic, as he tries to
convey the gravity of the situation, through the poem. He is perhaps cautioning us
to keep a check on ourselves and our emotions at all times.

8. 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.

Ans. There have been incidents of natural disasters that created havoc on earth. Every
year forest fires, volcanic eruptions account for a huge loss of flora and fauna, and even
humans. Fires due to meteor collisions cause measurable effects on life. Loss of person
and property in Uttarakhand could be attributed to the melting ice caps.

9. What are the two popular views in the society regarding the destruction of the world?

Ans. The poem deals with the age-old belief about how the world will come to an end.
Some believe that the world will end in fire, but to others, it will end in ice. It is shown in
the poem that each of them has potential energy to bring about the destruction of the
world.

10. “But if it had to perish twice”. Why does the poet use ‘if’ in the quotation?

Ans. Nobody knows whether the world will end in fire or in ice. But the idea of the
destruction of the world twice is somewhat complicated. That’s why, he expresses his
suspicion by using the term ‘if’.

11. 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’ engulf one’s whole
life and ‘hatred’ fills life with poison.

12. 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.

13. 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 with the idea of
destruction of the world in fire a little more than in ice.

14. 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.

15. ‘Fire and Ice’ was first published in 1920. Briefly explain how the WWI might have
influenced the theme of the poem.

Ans: The poem is written shortly after the end of the first world war and is greatly
influenced. The war proved it right how men's technological, economic and intellectual
progress led to self-destruction.

16. The use of symbolism in the poem 'Fire and Ice' conveys the poet’s message
effectively. Expand with reference to the poem.

Ans: Robert Frost has symbolised 'fire' with the feeling of heat, burning and pain, and
‘ice’ with neutral response of human beings to their misery. He believes that both have
the power to eliminate this world and ponders what we should do to save it.
Long Answer Questions (100-120 words: & Marks each)

1. What message does the poet give to the readers?

Ans. 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 iice. 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.

2. Write a brief note on how Frost deals with the theme in his poems.

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.

3. How does the poem depict the two contrasting ideas - 'Fire' and 'Ice'? Can hatred
destroy us and the world? Explain in detail.

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 say that the world
will end in fire, while some say that this will end in ice. The poet equates desire with fire
and hatred with ice. Both desire and hatred are growing with such a rapid speed that the
world will come to an end in 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.

4. 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.

Ans: Good morning teachers and my dear friends! I do not believe in the pessimistic
view of Sur Robert. Frost that our desires can take the world near to destruction. I feel
that this fire and ice can be tamed to cultivate a harmonious relationship among
people.

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” A man without desire is no more than an animal.
Human has added comfort to his life by keeping passions and desires alive. I agree that
unchecked aspirations sometimes turn harmful. However, by making strict rules and
staying vigilant, this fire can be kept under control. Fire adds taste to food but burns the
house as well, if left uncontrolled. Until our actions are controlled, we need not worry
about the end of the world.

Extract-based Questions

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

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.

(a) What is the fire symbol of?

(i) Hatred
(ii) Anger
(iii) Endless desires
(iv) All of these
(b) Why do some people say that the world will end in fire?
(c) Which poetic device has been used in the third line of the stanza?
(d) Identify the poet from the following.
a. William Blake
b. Robert Frost
c. Robert Burns
d. John Keats

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) Why do some people say that the world will end in ice?
(b) Which poetic device has been used in the third line of the stanza?

(i) Personification
(ii) Metaphor
(iii) Alliteration
(iv) Imagery
(c) What is great for destruction?

(d) What is the meaning of ‘suffice’?

(i) To be enough
(ii) To achieve something
(iii) To build up something
(iv) To destroy something

Short Answer Questions (40-50 words)

1. What do fire and ice stand for and what is the general opinion regarding the world?

2. What do people think about the ending of the world? What does the poet think?

3. Why does the poet say, “I’ve tasted of desire/I hold with those who favour fire”?

4. How will ‘ice’ be as ‘great’ and ‘suffice’ for causing the end of this existing world? Do
you agree with the poet?

Long Answer Questions (100-120 words)

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

2. This world, nothing is immortal. Explain with reference to In the poem, ‘Fire and
Ice’.