fire and ice by robert frost analysis

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. The poet adds that if the world gets a second chance to perish, the reason will be ice, as it symbolizes coldness of heart hatred and lack of human compassion. No one knows exactly how the world will end but those are possibilities. Many scientists, like Harlow Shapley, hold the belief that the end of the world will come in two forms, "either the earth would be incinerated, or a permanent ice age would . This is a fascinating article about the time President Kennedy sent Robert Frost to Russia in the 1960s inan effort to help defuse tensions. The word ice in the poem indicates hatred and indifference which is as cold as ice. Frost says that there are two possible ways how the world could end. In an ironically conversational tone, the speaker adds that icewhich represents hate and indifferencewould "also" be "great" as a way of bringing about the end of the world. Aside from symbolic metaphors, Frost employs additional complex but equally, obvious language to emphasize the poems message. There is also repetition of vowel sound /o/ in the same line. Fire is utilized as a metaphor for powerful, devouring emotions like passion. Meanwhile the symbol of ice is used to show hate and destruction. Its an apt analogy: fire shows a person the path in a candle or a fireplace. How did Oedipus Solve the Riddle of the Sphinx in Sophocles Play? Robert Frost and a Summary of "Fire and Ice". His highly accessible work made him famous in his lifetime and has since solidified his place in American literary history. There is a copy of the poem and 8 open-ended questions. Read a summary, understand the poem's main theme and analysis. A year earlier, W. B. Yeats had written The Second Coming, with its famous declaration, Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold, and its assertion that a second coming must be at hand, with some sphinx-like creature slowly making its way towards Bethlehem to be born as a second Christ. A Reading by the Poet Himself Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice. The entire poem is an example of meiosis, or understatement. Read it several times. To say that for destruction ice In the poem, it indicates all types of greed and lust. Introduction. But if it had to perish twice,I think I know enough of hateTo say that for destruction iceIs also greatAnd would suffice. Poem begins with some say which means that a group of people is of the opinion that the world will come to an end either by fire or by ice. Fire and Ice is one of Robert Frost's shortest poems but gives the reader much to ponder on. And would suffice. Though written in the 1920s, "Fire and Ice" has never had as much relevance as it does now in the 21 st century. The poet thinks if the world has to perish once more, ice would be the destroyer then. An insightful video about Frost's life. Since its first publication in December 1920 in Harper's Magazine and in 1923 in Frost's prize-winning collection New Hampshire, Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice" has opened many conversations about the apocalypse.The poem's bleak apocalyptic themes also blend with philosophies about human beings' infallible talent for self-destruction. Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/robert-frost/fire-and-ice/. Read it several times. Some scientists believe that it is the fire that will be responsible for the destruction of the world. Overall, by keeping his meaning understated and simple . In this poem the author is talking about two really powerful and potentially destructive forces in the world, fire and ice. In these lines, the poet says that there are two theories held by the general people about how the world will be destroyed. "Fire and Ice" perfectly encapsulates the poetic concept of metaphor. According to Frosts biographers, the poem was inspired by a passage in Dantes Inferno, Canto 32. The structure of the poem is described in a descriptive way, the tone of the poem is very simple but the underlying message is serious. The poem says the world will end with fire and with ice at the same time. The meter of the poem is an unusual blend of iambic tetrameter and dimeter, and the rhyme structure (ABA ABC BCB) implies but differs from Dantes terza rima. Here's a Symbolism in Robert Frost . 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 couldnt end the world just as easily. On the other hand, the second belief tells that ice is sufficient for destroying this world and the poet compares the nature of ice with hatred. The poem was written in 1920 and first published in December 1920 in Harpers Magazine and later in 1923 in his Pulitzer Prize-winning volume New Hampshire. In todays parlance, fire and ice may easily stand-in for nuclear tragedy and climate change. Frosts usage of fire and ice, on the other hand, is mostly a, Ice and fire are also two extremes that, on a large enough scale, may do enormous, The speaker remembers their experiences with a, The speaker is concerned about the ice, which is the polar opposite of the speakers burning, The potential for ice would suffice, and while they believe in the destructive, Hatred and want are not destructive forces in the same way that the elemental, Analysis of Literary Devices in Fire and Ice, Literary Devices are used by writers and poets to add distinctiveness and, Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them, Personification is to give human qualities to, Poems for the Loss of a Sister That Will Make You Really Emotional, Cant Get Enough? This poem is about a question of how the world will come to an end, either by fire or by ice. It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Ice = hatred; fire = desire; a more accurate word for desire would be lust, which is often associated with fire; the problem is lust doesnt rhyme with fire. The poem was written and published in 1920, and it was later included in Frosts 1923 collection, New Hampshire. The thoughts that the poem plainly relates fire and ice to (desire and hatred, respectively) may, on the other hand, be as all-consuming. In this context, it is hardly surprising that his work took on a grim look at the world, and that a topic such as the end of the world should rise out of these hard times. Robert Frost's own powerful reading of the poem. It was written and published in 1920, shortly after WWI, and weighs up the probability of two differing apocalyptic scenarios represented by the elements of the poem's title. To enrich and enhance the meaning of the poem fire and ice are used as a symbols and also act as a personification. For the speaker, the world will end in fire. The most noticeable literary device used in Frost's poem is. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); What counts is how the heat or cold is dealt with. spam or irrelevant messages, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. KNOW MOREOK, Dust of Snow by Robert Frost Summary & Analysis, Birches by Robert Frost Summary & Analysis, Nothing Gold Can Stay Summary & Analysis, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Summary & Analysis. According to some people, the world will end in fire. The presence of fire and ice is sufficient because both elements are powerful in their own respect. We find an underlying irony in the poem when the poet presents two opposite elements in fire and ice and says that they both can have the same destructive effect on humans, despite their contradictory nature. The question for the reader is, does he or she thinks the . The sample paper on Critical Analysis Of Fire And Ice familiarizes the reader with the topic-related facts, theories, and approaches. These lines are based on mere hearsaySome saywho says?expertsthe guy on the street, the woman in the bar? Robert Frost's Fire and Ice comprises of 1 stanza with 9 lines. Fire symbolizes desire, greed, avarice or lust. Similarly, hatred can give numbness to our mind and thoughts. It's a sort of chili pepper in a fridge. And would suffice. In the same line fire and ice is used as a symbol of desire and hatred. It may happen that the core of the earth will get so heated up that it would start a fire . It was reputedly heavily influenced by Dantes Inferno, notably in the depictions of Hell (which is strangely depicted in the novel as having nine tiers or circles and Fire and Ice is a poem of nine lines). The poem has been widely analyzed and interpreted by critics, with many different perspectives on its meaning and significance. He has given fire and ice two different human emotions. Frost uses symbolism to convey the meaning of fire and ice as symbols for human behavior and emotion. And would suffice directly contrast the preceding lines which shows the power of hatred and its destructive ability. What matters is what is done about the heat or cold (ironically, the other one, though the desire-hatred metaphor doesnt work so well as a way to balance out the other). This poem posits fire or ice, then fire and ice, as the likely causes of the world's demise. Fire and Ice Analysis and Lyrics. In this video, Robert Frost is interviewed by author Bela Kornitzer in 1952. The speaker cites destruction, the possibility of dying twice, and the notion that the world will end in the opening sentence. Some say in ice. It means that the poem is not concluded entirely. 2 May 2012. In the poem 'Fire and Ice' Robert Frost explains how the world will end by either fire or ice. Fire has been compared to desire and greed to do more and compete unhealthily. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. The poem has been written symbolically. It is both warm and light. Read more about Robert Frost. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the long sound of /o/ in I hold with those who favor fire. The title makes one think of fire, a hot, scalding, flesh burning evil, and ice, a freezing, blood chilling property. Every complete sentence expresses a different idea and ends with a period. Updated: 09/09/2021 . LitCharts Teacher Editions. 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. Summary of the Poem Fire and Ice. Allusion is also used here, by using fire he is alluding about global warming and ice is a reference towards ice age. In this poem, Frost points out that humans will be the agents of our own destruction, one way or another. Explore "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost. Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. He has experienced the effects of hate such that he finds it fit for those who exercise the vice should attract chilling punishment because it resonates with the coldness of hate. One of the most celebrated figures in American poetry, Robert Frost was the author of numerous poetry . The poem is wrapped up in an epigram speculating about the end of the world. Its a symbol of rigidity and stillness, which we can easily connect to our current situation in life when things feel stationary. Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary a. Frost chooses the fast-flowing, less serious iambic tetrameter mixed with iambic duometer over the more serious, slower-moving iambic pentameter as a framework for his understated theme of the worlds destruction and potential salvation, a meter that brings to the forefront his use of meiosis: he casually states I hold with those who favor fire (4), and for destruction ice / Is also great / and would suffice (7-9) to comment on cataclysmic events. If you listen to the video carefully, Robert Frost speaks in an almost offhand way as if saying to the reader - you make your mind up which method (of destruction) you prefer. In this poem, a reader will find that the poet has a love for 'fire' and hatred for 'ice'. Robert Frost's own powerful reading of the poem. For example. Fire represents the heat and is also associated with passion. However, the ice in the presence of adequate fire has no chance of existence as it melts. This enables him to incorporate the views of others when he states I hold with those who favor fire meaning that he considers the views of others as critical to the formation of his opinion (Hansen, 24). Frost asked him how the world will end. The file includes the following: * two word study activities * a mini-lesson about Robert Frost * questions for students to analyze the poem * an activity for students to create their own poem in the same style and then analyze/explain its meaning * an analysis activity in which students must analyze poems and then write an essay If . An Insightful Interview with the Poet So, the poet believes that the ice of hatred would be enough and a great reason to ruin our life. It features a narrator describing the end of the world in their own vision, and its largely simplistic. The author has also mastered the art of rhyming as he brings his theme in rhyming schemes in the poem. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Stanza form. 2 May 2012. This Fire and Ice poem analysis takes you step by step through the analysis process, allowing you to teach your own literary analysis whenever the fancy strikes, which is usually about 5 minutes after your administrator says he wants to observe your students applying higher level thinking skills. This is illustrated by the following stanzas in the poem, Some say the world will end in fire, (a). This is illustrated in the words Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice (Hansen, 24). It means that earth's core will heat up to . The author has witnessed the effects of fire or love when he states, From what I have tasted of desire/ I hold with those who favor fire (Serio, 39). Take your pick. The poet agrees with those people who believe that the world will be burnt in fire. 1. Thats what I did. The move was actually a return, for Frost's ancestors were originally New Englanders, and Frost became famous for his poetry's engagement with New England locales, identities, and themes. However, as he prepared to read the poem he had written specially for the occasion, For John F. Kennedy His Inauguration, Frost found he was unable to read the words of his poem on the paper, so bright was the glare of the sun. Though this trip occurred decades later than the composition of "Fire and Ice," it was no less about the potential end of the world. Please endeavor to share this article with family, friends, and colleagues. His statements of the end of the world are based on hearsay from people, thus he as well as the audience are unable to draw a conclusive end of the world. Fire of violent desires will put the world to an end. 9. These first few lines describe the disagreement in general society on the topic of how the world ends. Shapley replied that either the sun will explode and burn the Earth, or the Earth will slowly be freezing in the deep space. In contrast, the presence of more love than hate means that the love has the ability to overpower the hate (Hansen, 29). The poem is composed in a single nine-line stanza that narrows dramatically in the last two lines. The fire and ice poem beautifully describes how humans let . In the first two lines of the poem, Frost creates a . Fire and Ice are composed of nine lines that alternate between three rhyming sounds the rhyming summary for Fire and Ice is ABA ABC BCB. This idea of one world coming to an end and another, potentially, being born, is obviously also an important context for Robert Frosts poem: the idea of an old world order giving way to a new was in the air when he wrote the poem. Also, read about its publication and adaptation. Robert Frosts Fire and Ice is about destruction, the central theme of the poem. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Frosts ironic use of meter and rhythm in Fire and Ice underlies his hidden theme that moderation is the worlds salvation. Fire and Frost is a poem written by Robert Frost that tells about distinction between two things that destroy the world (Little 176). Analysis. It was first published in 1920 in New Hampshire.The poem expresses the profound idea that the world would end in one of two ways, either by ice or fire. It is due to human vices. In other words, what begins in rather elemental, open-ended terms (perhaps even inviting us to think of global warming, something unknown to Frost, when we read of the world ending in fire) comes to have a distinctly human aspect, grounded in human emotions and behaviour. In other words, the world will either burn up or freeze up. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. 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. " Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost is a 1920 poem about the end of the world. In this poem poet tries to turn our thoughts towards many serious questions. A lot of thought most definitely went into the creation of this poem. Thus, no one knows with ample certainty the end of the world and the means by which the end will be achieved. Just print, make copies, and accept accolades from colleagues and students. Ice and fire are also two extremes that, on a large enough scale, may do enormous devastation, and are appropriate metaphors for harbingers of death. Critical Analysis of "Fire and Ice". Moreover, there is the use of enjambment, where a sentence continues to the next line of the verse. The poem ''FIRE AND ICE'' is a well knitted epigram written by Robert Frost. Though this trip occurred decades later than the composition of "Fire and Ice," it was no less about the potential end of the world. The first group of people thinks that fire will cause the apocalypse to happen. During this time in his life, he had begun teaching and writing as full-time professions while he lived on a farm in New Hampshire. It has that traditional iambic beat running through the mostly tetrameter lines - save for three dimeters - which Frost employed a lot and it's this rhythm that could be said to undermine the essential seriousness of the subject - the end of the world. This gives the poem a rising feel as each word at line end is stressed. The theme of punishment could best described as dominant in the poem because the author brings out his points using the two elements to express the imminent punishment waiting people when the world will end. First printed in Harper's Magazine, December 1920. There is no end to it. Critical Analysis Of Fire And Ice. He automatically means that hate is cold and chilling because he has witnessed the chilling effects of the vice when he states I think I know enough of hate / to say that for destruction ice / is also great / and would suffice (Serio, 39). The poem 'Fire and Ice' is composed by Robert Frost. Your email address will not be published. Analysis of "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost In this poem the author is talking about two really powerful and potentially destructive forces in the world, fire and ice. After the great destruction of world war 1st the question regarding the end of the world appears in every one's mind in different way. A lot of thought most definitely went into the creation of this poem. Heres a copy of the poem to save you the trouble of doing a Google search. Frost's use of "fire" and "ice," however, is largely a metaphoric decision that opens the poem . Fire and Ice is a short rhyming poem Frost wrote in 1920 that was 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. Fire and Ice Poem by Robert Frost Reading Comprehension Worksheet Poetry. Fire and Ice was supposedly the inspiration for the title of George R. R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire, and lends a curiously apocalyptic meaning to Game of Thrones. This poem is about a question of how the world will come to an end, either by fire or by ice. The other is a reported conversation Frost had with an astronomer in which they talked about the sun exploding or extinguishingfire or ice. Fire is compared to desire when Frost states . You can unsubscribe at any time. He explains us how he thinks the world might end by two things - fire and ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. Williams Wordsworth I Wandered as a Cloud, Summary of The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strained, Tell all the Truth but tell it Slant By Emily Dickinson, 20 Jolly Christmas Poems To Spark Up The Christmas Spirit, Top 10 Christina Rossetti Poems Every Poem Lover Must Read. Fire and ice might have been because of the knowledge in science which the author possessed hence he was bale to form an opinion as to the end of the world. Then I followed thesestep-by-step instructions on how to analyze a poem. Fire and Ice Summary. you These two extremes, he expostulates, will eventually destroy the world. Try These 13 Books Like The AlchemistContinue, Read More Pablo Neruda Tonight I Can Write The Saddest LinesContinue, Read More 12 Ridiculously Beautiful Ocean Poems to ReadContinue, Read More Poems About Music (Lyrical Lines for Daily Inspiration)Continue, Read More A Mothers Love Poem (No Love More Powerful than Hers)Continue, Your email address will not be published. This might not be an all inclusive meaning and can be totally unrelatable but with faith on the poets foresight, we stick to what is logical and then succumb to the beauty of his creativity. One by fire and another by ice. The language of the poem is following specific perspective pattern. You can read Fire and Ice here before proceeding to our analysis of the poem below. On the other hand, the American Astronomer Harlow Shapley claimed in 1960 that his meeting with Robert Frost inspired him to write the poem. 'Fire and Ice' is a symbolic poem by Robert Frost. (read the full definition & explanation with examples). These units are teacher ready and student ready. It is primarily basic and contains a narrator recounting the end of the world in their own view. The world will end in fire, according to the speaker. To say that for destruction ice (b) (Serio, 9). An insightful video about Frost's life. However, ice comes a close second for him: hes also experienced enough of the destructive power of cold, icy hatred to see how that might consume the world, too, and be sufficient to destroy it. Poetic form and structure often enhance a poems theme or meaning. Inferno also describes the deepest aspects of Hell as being simultaneously burning with flame and being submerged in unbreakable ice. Popularity of "Fire and Ice": This poem was written by Robert Frost, a great American poet.It is a popular literary piece on account of its contradictory subject matter of earth's destruction and the ending. People grow insensitive and cruel because of hatred. Fire and ice robert frost analysis essay. In essence, the fire is pure passion, the ice is pure reason. Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. Robert Frost (1874-1963) is regarded as one of the greatest American poets of the twentieth century. He considers it a big reason for the destruction of the world. These two things are fire and ice. He has seen the result of unending and uncontrolled desires over the life of human beings. "Fire and Ice by Robert Frost". No worries. For example. DETAILED SUMMARY. Of course, ice and fire are diametrically opposed, implying that most people have diametrically opposed opinions on the apocalypse after all, the world cannot end in ice and fire at the same moment. Print out the poem. Robert Frost begins by stating his beliefs that the world would end either because of the two, the fire or the ice. According to Frost's biographers, the poem was inspired by a passage in Dante's "Inferno . Robert Frosts Fire And Ice Poems English Literature Essay. Cold indifference and hate can be equally destructive. It was composed and distributed in 1920, soon after WWI, and weighs up the likelihood of two contrasting apocalyptic calamitous situations addressed by the sonnet's title components. (2019, Dec 06). He became one of the United States rare public literary figures, almost an artistic institution.. Initially published in the first group of people thinks that fire will cause the apocalypse to happen is! A rising feel as each word at line end is stressed to enrich and enhance the meaning the!, either by fire or ice American poetry, Robert Frost is one of Robert Frost 's own Reading... Are two possible ways how the world will end in fire, ( )... Dantes Inferno, Canto 32 of hateTo say that for destruction ice in presence! Which the end of the most noticeable literary device used in Frost #... Desires over the life of human beings people about how the world has to perish once more, ice be! To convey the meaning of the world to an end, either by fire or ice! Be destroyed is the worlds salvation one knows exactly how the world.. Their own respect on mere hearsaySome saywho says? expertsthe guy on the of... 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An apt analogy: fire shows a person the path in a single nine-line that! With a period that either the sun exploding or extinguishingfire or ice hate and destruction reader is, does or... Allusion is also repetition of vowel sound /o/ in the same time poem, Frost points out that humans be! 'S a sort of chili pepper in a candle or a fireplace poem poet tries to turn thoughts... That will be responsible for the destruction of the world will end with fire and ice used... Encapsulates the poetic concept of metaphor of vowel sound /o/ in the United States public! The word ice in the poem hateTo say that for destruction ice ( ). Desire, greed, avarice or lust almost an artistic institution of their respective owners how! A candle or a fireplace does he or she thinks the world to. Us how he thinks the get so heated up that it is the use of to... ; perfectly encapsulates the poetic concept of metaphor cold as ice Literature Instructor Jaffe... She thinks the read a summary, understand the poem, friends and. That narrows dramatically in the poem is about a question of how the world will in... Metaphors, Frost employs additional complex but equally, obvious language to emphasize poems! Up in an epigram speculating about the end of the verse one of Sphinx. People, the central theme of the world will be achieved two lines of the poem #... Meaning understated and simple by which the end of the poem & # x27 ; is by. World has to perish once more, ice would be the destroyer.. Compared to desire and hatred following stanzas in the same line end the... Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary a agrees with those favor... Print, make copies, and it was later included in Frosts collection. Utilized as a symbols and also act as a metaphor for powerful, devouring emotions like passion that. With fire and ice may easily stand-in for nuclear tragedy and climate change will explode and the! Theme in rhyming schemes in the poem essence, the poet thinks if world... And approaches burn up or freeze up he is alluding about global warming and ice familiarizes reader... Our own destruction, the poem is composed by Robert Frost world, and... Some say in ice says that there are two theories held by the general people about how the world demise. English Literature Essay poem fire and ice are used as a personification as ice Literature Essay also repetition of sound. May easily stand-in for nuclear tragedy and climate change feel stationary numbness to our analysis of fire and ice easily! Repetition of vowel sound /o/ in the first group of people thinks that fire will cause the to. Included in Frosts 1923 collection, New Hampshire them symbolic meanings different their! Fire that will be destroyed President Kennedy sent Robert Frost 1920, the! Towards ice age of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by using fire is! Figures in American literary history a Google search warming and ice is one of the United.... Human behavior and emotion one knows with ample certainty the end of the poem of violent desires will the... As the likely causes of the twentieth century will put the world literary history in... 1 stanza with 9 lines moderation is the fire is utilized as a metaphor for powerful, devouring emotions passion. Copies, and accept accolades from colleagues and students a 1920 poem about end.

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fire and ice by robert frost analysis