Fire and Ice
Introduction:
Apocalypse
is the day when the world would end. Some people believe that the world
would end as a result of global warming and some are of the view that it may
end as a result of extreme freezing. Looking at the current climatic conditions
of the world, both seem possible. But, there are chances that the world may
disintegrate due to many other reasons, like greed, hatred, unwanted desires, and other vices. That’s what Robert Frost tries to convey in his poem, ‘Fire
and Ice’.
About
the Poet:
Robert Frost was born in 1874 in San
Francisco, California. He was an American poet much admired for his depictions
of the rural life of New England and his command of American colloquial speech.
His poem “My Butterfly” gave him his status as a professional poet. Frost s
first book was published when he was about 40. Later he went on to win a record
four Pulitzer Prizes. He also became the most famous poet of his time. Frost
was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 31 times. His most famous
works include poems like "Fire and Ice", "The Road Not
Taken", "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", ‘West-Running
Brook’, "Acquainted with the Night", ‘The Lovely Shall Be Choosers’,
‘From Snow to Snow’ and many more. He also wrote some famous plays like, ‘A Way
Out’, ‘The Cow s in the Corn’, ‘A Masque of Reason’, ‘A Masque of Mercy’, etc.
Summary
Fire and Ice is a lyric of nine lines by Robert Frost. The poet feels that the world will one day be consumed by excess of fire. But the poet also thinks that if the world were to end twice even ice could destroy the world, and there was sufficient ice for this.
Symbolically, fire stands for extreme intensity of emotions while ice stands for complete lack of feelings. Greed and hatred are symbolized as fire and ice.
Both are equally disastrous as they and both have the power to destroy the world. The last line of the poem makes us feel that the poem does not question either the existence or the capability of these powers. He is conscious of the ruinous capacities of these two powers.
Stanza 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.
Meaning:
The first two lines throw light on the debate
in society on how the world will end. Scientifically, ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand
for nuclear disaster and climate change. But, Frost’s use of ‘fire’ and ‘ice’
is largely metaphoric. Ice and fire are opposites of one another. This suggests
that most people have entirely opposing views on the end of the world. Ice and
fire also represent two extremes which could cause immense damage.
Stanza 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.
Meaning:
Just like the burning desires are dangerous
for the poet, the ice is also a concern in his mind. He believes that the world
will end, in one form or the other. If fire isn’t enough to complete the task,
then ice would perform it equally well. In contrast to a burning flame, the
chilling ice represents hatred to the poet. He believes that it is something
that would chill the world, slow it down, and isolate each individual enough
that the human race simply wouldn’t survive it. There’s no doubt that he
believes in the destructive power of fire, but he sees no reason not to believe
that ice would end the world just as easily.
Meanings
of words and phrases:
tasted: to have
experience of something
desire: a strong
feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen
favour: to feel
or show approval or preference for something
perish: a slow,
gradual, nonviolent death
suffice: to be
enough or adequate
Figures
of Speech (Literary Devices)
1.
Alliteration: The occurrence of the same consonant letter or sound at the
beginning of adjacent or closely connected words is called Alliteration.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
I hold with those
who favor fire.
2. Hyperbole:
Hyperbole is an overstatement that exaggerates a particular condition for
emphasis.
But if it had to
perish twice
3. Metaphor: Metaphor is a figure of
speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn t literally true,
but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.
I think I know
enough of hate
Rhyming Words:
Stanza 1 – fire -
desire - fire
Stanza 2 – twice
- ice – suffice
Rhyme Scheme:
abaa – ababa
Symbolism:
The poet uses fire as a symbol of desire and passion, and
ice as a symbol of hatred. These are, in fact, symbols for human behaviour and
emotions. These symbols can be applied into our daily life as a warning against
vices of desire and hatred in a personal connection.
Theme:
The theme of the poem is the destructiveness
of the passions of love and hate. Symbolically, fire stands for the heat of
love and passion, while ice for the cold of hate. The last line confirms the
poet s belief in both the passions possessing enormous destructive power. These
passions are inevitable in the drama of human life. In this poem, Frost makes
provision for opposite views. He shows himself in agreement with those who
believe that the world will end in fire and with those who believe that the
world will end in ice. From the poem, it is clear that the poet does not want
to load his beliefs or views upon his readers. He rather vaguely suggests them
to entertain the views of others, even if they are diverse in nature. We also
find an analysis of one s life. If a person is obsessed with unhealthy desires
like power, greed, etc., then they will face the fiery end. If a person is
jealous and full of hatred, he will demise with the cold that is coldness of
love.
