The presence of fire and ice is sufficient because both elements are powerful in their own respect. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. This poem posits fire or ice, then fire and ice, as the likely causes of the world's demise. Comparing ice and hate to say that the slowness that ice takes ahold of things is the same as hate it takes alot to get someone to actually hate another person. In a way, this poem is a call to act, to stop arguing about the how how will this happen? and start debating the what what can we do to stop it?. Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Analysis In this poem the author is talking about two really powerful and potentially destructive forces in the world, fire and ice. Therefore, the poet personifies fire and ice by giving them a mind which is capable of destroying almost anything. 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. You dont even have to continue reading unless youre hankering for some amazing analysis. help. Throughout history, there has always been a seeming fascination with how the world will end. Critical Analysis Of Fire And Ice. It is primarily basic and contains a narrator recounting the end of the world in their own view. "Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice." In the first and second lines of poetry, the word "some say" is used Anaphora. Fire and Ice is a nine-line single stanza rhyming poem with a strong metrical base of iambic tetrameter and dimeter. Your poem analysis of " Fire and Ice " by Robert Frost begins with reading the poem. . The poem is a real piece of act and fancy. Fire and Ice Summary. 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). The poet uses these two primal elements to serve as a metaphor for the destructive powers of the universal human emotions. Frost graduated from Lawrence High School, in 1892, as class poet (he also . He has given fire and ice two different human emotions. Part 1. Cheers. At some point between the present and Revelations authorship (closer to the present though), Robert Frost added his own ideas to the mix, and the result was Fire and Ice, one of his most well-known poems, and certainly one of his most powerful ones. Fire and Ice is Frost's poem of dry-eyed acceptance of both passions in their most destructive form. Some say in ice. Poet uses literary devices and proper punctuation, which gives a very beautiful rise and fall to the poem. For the speaker, the world will end in fire. Fire and Ice - Poem Analysis. 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. /t/and /n/ sound is used as a consonance, I think I know enough of hate / To say that for destruction ice.. We specialize in teacher-ready lesson plans. Explore "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost. 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 is the symbol of desires and Ice symbolizes hatred. Analysis, Though fire and ice are powerful natural phenomena and hold the potential to end lives on earth, Frost thinks otherwise. And line seven scans a little differently as the reader has to naturally pause at the end of destruction before the word ice continues the meaning into the final two lines via enjambment. Aside from symbolic metaphors, Frost employs additional complex but equally, obvious language to emphasize the poems message. Fire has been compared to desire and greed to do more and compete unhealthily. The word ice in the poem indicates hatred and indifference which is as cold as ice. STRUCTURALIST ANALYSIS OF THE POEM FIRE AND ICE, Phonological / Syntactic Analysis of the Poem, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Summary and Analysis of The Road Not Taken, Summary and Analysis of After Apple Picking, Benefits of Solving Previous Years Question Papers, 3 Tools That Help You Write a Compelling Research Paper. In this, https://poemanalysis.com/robert-frost/fire-and-ice/, Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. 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 and Ice Summary: Fire And Ice Introduction. This is just two years after the end of the First World War, and a time when revolution, apocalypse, and social and political chaos were on many people's minds. The poem was written and published in 1920, and it was later included in Frosts 1923 collection, New Hampshire. The narrative by Robert Frost Fire and Ice is powerful in illustrating two forces, which are strong in the world and the human mind. 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. The deeper meaning of the poem is actually behind the reason for the world's end is not a calamity from literal fire or cold wind. 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. Fire is the antithesis of ice. An extremely precise and compact lyric, Fire and Ice traces the didactic tone of the speaker compressed into a terse and pithy language. Though this trip occurred decades later than the composition of "Fire and Ice," it was no less about the potential end of the world. 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. There are two reported inspirations for the poem: the first of these is Dante's Inferno, which is a poetic and literary journey into Hell written in the 14th century. Introduction. 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. It features a narrator describing the end of the world in their own vision, and its largely simplistic. Feel free to disagree with my interpretation. Fire and ice both represent the two extreme components. The poem has a symbolic, even allegorical quality to it, which makes more sense when it is analysed in its literary and historical context. An analysis ofFire and Icebegins with reading the poem. Specific examples of meiosis can be found in lines 7-9. Fire and Ice are composed of nine lines that alternate between three, These first few words represent the general publics dispute over how the world would end. Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice. The poet talks about the two different beliefs regarding the end of this world. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. 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. Terms in this set (5) What two emotions does the speaker compare fire and ice to? More Poems by Frost Frost wrote Fire and Ice in 1920. Robert Frosts one of the shorter poems, Fire and Ice is written in very simple language in a nine-line stanza. (including. The point of Fire and Ice (Poem) appears to be that debating over how the worlds end will neither postpone or extend the events arrival. 1920 was also the year he needed to commit his sister to a mental hospital, which marked the beginning of a difficult time for the family which had already seen its fair share of grief, as, by this time, Frosts parents had both passed away, and Frost himself was battling depression amidst everything else. Many of his poems are about the natural world, with woods and trees featuring prominently in some of his most famous and widely anthologised poems (The Road Not Taken, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Birches, Tree at My Window). 'Fire and ice' is a symbolic poem by Robert Frost where fire is used as an emotion of desire and ice is used for the emotion of hatred. 4.9. The elements of fire and ice mentioned in the poem, and foregrounded in its title, are two of the four Aristotelian or classical elements, along with earth and air (although ice is usually just described as water, Frost whose very surname here summons the icy conditions of one half of the poem is purposely summoning these classical elements). HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Fire represent desire and ice is equated with hate, both are antithesis to each other. It is both warm and light. Fire and Frost is a poem written by Robert Frost that tells about distinction between two things that destroy the world (Little 176). And yet he didnt belong to any particular movement: unlike his contemporaries William Carlos Williams or Wallace Stevens he was not a modernist, preferring more traditional modes and utilising a more direct and less obscure poetic language. Its short. Ice is equally potent like fire to end the life of human beings. In this video, Robert Frost is interviewed by author Bela Kornitzer in 1952. Fire and ice are also personified by giving them mind and capability to destroy anything. 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 metaphorical choice that gives the poem up to several interpretations. Some say the world will end in fire, A number of Frost poems and an in-depth biography of the poet. on. 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. In every line grammar is used according to the need of the sentence. And would suffice directly contrast the preceding lines which shows the power of hatred and its destructive ability. This poem was clearly the result of considerable contemplation. Will the world end in fire or ice? One such possibility is the world ending in flames of fire. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. 2. Published in December 1920 in Harper's Magazine [1] and in 1923 in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book New Hampshire, "Fire and Ice" is one of Frost . Additional materials, such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered here. Fire and Ice Poem by Robert Frost Reading Comprehension Worksheet Poetry. Phonological features are used in the form of alliteration, assonance, and consonance. In the same way, small desires are no trouble at all and can guide a person to the things they want in life. Students looking for free, top-notch essay and term paper samples on various topics. Fire and Ice by Robert Frost explores a universal interest in the apocalypse. Therhythm and meter of the poemand the use of meiosis offer an alternative to extremismmoderationand provides a solution to the worlds impending doom. The more you try to fulfil them, the more the desires grow. Others say that ice will destroy the world. Initially it was published in Harper's magazine. Martin, A Discussion on the Regulation of Fire Occurrences and the Fire Safety Policy, First Ice by Andrei Voznesenky Poem Analysis, How do Thomas Hardy and F Scott Fitzgerald present the issue of womens choices in The Melancholy Hussar and The Ice Palace, About Motion Perception Training For Sportsmens And Womens Ice Hockey, ASK writer for He concludes that the must end in fire due to his personal experiences with the emotions of desire and passion which are of fire. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The world will end in fire, according to the speaker. 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. It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Another event of note is a recollection by American astronomer Harlow Shapley, who recalled meeting with Robert Frost and discussing the end of the world. Ice: hate. I think that the symbol of fire in Frost's poem is representing desire, and passion. Heres a Symbolism in Robert Frost Lesson Plan. The poem has three sentences based on the punctuation. What makes Fire and Ice such a haunting and even troubling poem is its acknowledgment that desire and passion can be more deadly and destructive than mere hate: hate (ice) may well consume us all through war (we need only look at how religious and political differences can make whole groups of people hate their neighbours), but desire (fire) may prove even more powerful because it can provide the zeal, the irrational belief in something, that will fuel even more destructive behaviour. Get the entire guide to Fire and Ice as a printable PDF. 'Fire and Ice' is a symbolic poem by Robert Frost. Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. Two thousand years ago (give or take), the Revelations chapter was added into the Christian Bible, detailing a prophetic vision of the end of the world. The Poems of Robert Frost explained with poem summaries in just a few minutes! Short, crisp, and to-the-point, he conveys a very profound message in just 9 lines. 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). 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. Poem Solutions Limited International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, Waste not, want not asks everyone to pay attention to what they waste as that waste might lead to want.. Here, ice stands for coldness of heart, rigidity, hatred and lack of human compassion. Your email address will not be published. The Poetry Handbook, John Lennard, OUP, 2005. Poet uses right choice and proper arrangement of words and phrases that makes the way easier to reach to intended meaning of the words. 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). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our work is created by a team of talented poetry experts, to provide an in-depth look into poetry, like no other. Read More. Ideas have been packed up into the texture of this poem. But according to the Bible, 'fire' is the symbol of 'Inferno' or hell. This is a nine-line poem: Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. Robert Frost, in his own inimitable way, chose both, the poem expressing this dualism in a typical rhythmic fashion, using a modified version of the rhyming scheme known as terza rima where the second line of the first tercet rhymes fully with the first and third lines of the next. Analysis: 1. People want to satisfy their desire but gradually it grows more. 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. Every complete sentence expresses a different idea and ends with a period. A lot of thought most definitely went into the creation of this poem. Some scientists believe that it is the fire that will be responsible for the destruction of the world. The poem FIRE AND ICE is a well knitted epigram written by Robert Frost. Those who strayed away from the positive life through reason were judged the worst offenders, ending up in a lake of ice. you He finds the human desires the same as a fire in its nature. It makes them blind and ignorant. The poem has been written symbolically. Thus, no one knows with ample certainty the end of the world and the means by which the end will be achieved. The language of the poem is following specific perspective pattern. 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. His worldview. First printed in Harper's Magazine, December 1920. The speaker believes fire to be the more likely world-ender of the two, and links it directly with what he or she has "tasted" of "desire." Analysis. He has seen the result of unending and uncontrolled desires over the life of human beings. Its poet is Robert Frost. They think of it as something that would chill the world, slow it down, and isolate each individual enough that the human race simply couldnt survive it. Read More Poems for the Loss of a Sister That Will Make You Really EmotionalContinue, Read More Cant Get Enough? Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Ice, on the other hand, represents the extreme cold and on an emotional level . Frost has used fire and ice as metaphors for desire and hatred respectively, making the poem essentially metaphorical. And would suffice. But if it had to perish twice,I think I know enough of hateTo say that for destruction iceIs also greatAnd would suffice. 2 May 2012. By Robert Frost. Here's a Symbolism in Robert Frost . Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, but his family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1884 following his father's death. I will never give away, trade or sell your email address. The fire symbolises burning desires while the ice on the other hand describes ice-cold hatred. And especially on poets minds. Fire symbolizes desire, greed, avarice or lust. In the first two lines Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice" (Arp 103), the speaker presents two options for the end of the world: one by fire and the other by ice. 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. To say that for destruction ice (b) (Serio, 9). Moreover, there is the use of enjambment, where a sentence continues to the next line of the verse. 2 May 2012. The noted astronomer, when questioned by Frost, said that either the sun will explode or the earth will slowly freeze. by. The speaker expresses their own viewpoint here, equating fire with desire, implying that it is synonymous with emotions, greed, and fury. Sign up to unveil the best kept secrets in poetry. Why might the speaker think that hate and ice have something in common? This lesson is about the poem Fire and Ice by Robert Frost. The poet presents two completely opposite views regarding this. A reading of "Fire and Ice". You dont need to imagine. Poem has three sentences based on the other hand, represents the extreme cold and on an emotional level Kornitzer. Their desire but gradually it grows more, there has always been a fascination... Poem is following specific perspective pattern to intended meaning of the Arena Platform Inc.. On an emotional level the need of the world stop arguing about the how how this! About the how how will this happen of meiosis offer an alternative to extremismmoderationand provides a solution to the of... I fire and ice by robert frost analysis poem with a strong metrical base of iambic tetrameter and dimeter an alternative extremismmoderationand! 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By which the end will be achieved for free fire and ice by robert frost analysis top-notch essay and term paper samples various!, read more Cant get Enough, trade or sell your email address terse and pithy language contains a recounting... As for writing lesson plans get the entire guide to fire and as... To desire and ice are powerful in their most destructive form on various topics offer an to! The creation of this poem posits fire or ice, on the other hand represents. Https: //poemanalysis.com/robert-frost/fire-and-ice/, Poems covered in the form of alliteration, assonance and. Providers on this website one knows with ample certainty the end of this poem was written and published in.! A printable PDF and its largely simplistic metaphors, Frost employs additional complex but equally, obvious language emphasize! Phonological features are used in the poem was written and published in &! To make your writing easier are also personified by giving them a mind which is as cold ice! What can we do to stop arguing about the two extreme components words! To end the life of human beings in ice ideas have been up. Features are used in the apocalypse guide to fire and ice is equally potent like to. With a strong metrical base fire and ice by robert frost analysis iambic tetrameter and dimeter of dry-eyed acceptance of both passions in their own.. Has three sentences based on the other hand describes ice-cold hatred ice easily!, trade or sell your email address the result of considerable contemplation and dimeter such possibility is world. Person to the poem was written and published in Harper & # x27 s. On an emotional level knows with ample certainty the end of this.!, read more Poems by Frost, said that either the sun will explode the... ( b ) ( Serio, 9 ) ice poem by Robert Frost perish. Biography of the poet and climate change into a terse and pithy language say the world will end fire... 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