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. In a modern sense, fire and ice could well be stand-ins for nuclear disaster and climate change. Frosts use of fire and ice, however, is largely a metaphoric decision that opens the poem up to different kinds of interpretation. The emotion he conveys seems to convey is remorse and disgust, as shown in line five, "I think I know enough of hate.". In this poem, Fire and Ice are capable of destruction. In "Fire and Ice", Frost's first two lines are "Some say the world will end in fire,/ some say in ice." This excerpt also has a greater meaning. Fire and Ice is a short poem written by Robert Frost. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. (including. First printed in Harper's Magazine, December 1920. The poem says the world will end with fire and with ice at the same time. Walker, Andrew. In this poem, Frost was trying to create . In the same way, small desires are no trouble at all and can guide a person to the things they want in life. Robert Frost's Mission to Russia And would suffice directly contrast the preceding lines which shows the power of hatred and its destructive ability. Fire and ice robert frost analysis essay. The poet wants to aware the humanity that everything will end one day as a result of human misdeeds'. In the poem Fire and Ice, fire symbolizes the heat of passion and ice represents the cold of hate. The entire poem is an example of meiosis, or understatement. Updated: 09/09/2021 . Frosts ironic use of meter and rhythm in Fire and Ice underlies his hidden theme that moderation is the worlds salvation. Fire and Ice is one of Robert Frost's shortest poems but gives the reader much to ponder on. To say that for destruction ice (b) (Serio, 9). '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. Frost asked him how the world will end. The casual reference to dying twice, knowing hate, tasting desire, and other understatements underlie the poems speakers call for moderation. Fire and Ice is a short poem written by Robert Frost. Heres a Symbolism in Robert Frost Lesson Plan. 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. Critical Analysis Of Fire And Ice. They imagine it as something that would cool the planet, slow everything down, and isolate each individual to the point that the human species would perish. 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. It contains nine lines corresponding to Dante's nine-leveled configuration of hell, and its rhyme scheme mimics the terza rima pattern Dante invented for his Divine Comedy as well. Stanza 1Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. Some say the world will end in fire, The poet talks about the two different beliefs regarding the end of this world. The move was actually a return . 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. A freezing sheen of ice indicates hostility to the speaker, as opposed to a scorching flame. Print out the poem. Fire and Ice - Poem Analysis. Its short. A number of Frost poems and an in-depth biography of the poet. The ice in line two, stands for the hate in the world. As a close opposite to the burning desires the speaker sees as being so dangerous, the ice is also a concern in their mind. More Poems by Frost The question for the reader is, does he or she thinks the . The most noticeable literary device used in Frost's poem is. Terms in this set (5) What two emotions does the speaker compare fire and ice to? So, the poet believes that the ice of hatred would be enough and a great reason to ruin our life. He concludes that the must end in fire due to his personal experiences with the emotions of desire and passion which are of fire. Others say that ice will destroy the world. The poet gives his personal opinion. An extremely precise and compact lyric, Fire and Ice traces the didactic tone of the speaker compressed into a terse and pithy language. Despite this, it manages to be a powerful and thought-provoking work of art that has remained relevant and remembered decades after its original printing. Though fire and ice are powerful natural phenomena and hold the potential to end lives on earth, Frost thinks otherwise. 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. 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. The poem Fire and Ice. help. Frost says that there are two possible ways how the world could end. He famously observed of free verse, which was favoured by many modernist poets, that it was like playing tennis with the net down. 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. Fire has been compared to desire and greed to do more and compete unhealthily. 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. By Robert Frost. Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, but his family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1884 following his father's death. We hope this article on Fire and Ice (Poem) has been interesting. The poem 'Fire and Ice' is composed by Robert Frost. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. This lesson is about the poem Fire and Ice by Robert Frost. 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. The fire symbolises burning desires while the ice on the other hand describes ice-cold hatred. 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. Robert Frost's Fire and Ice comprises of 1 stanza with 9 lines. 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. 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. For Frost in 1920, life had certainly had its good days and bad days. 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. Frost wrote Fire and Ice in 1920. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American. Feel free to disagree with my interpretation. Then follow these. Some scholars claim this poem was inspired by Dante's Inferno, as "Fire and Ice" draws many interesting parallels to the work. The poem opens with a profound idea about the end of the world. Meanwhile the symbol of ice is used to show hate and destruction. The poem is wrapped up in an epigram speculating about the end of the world. Though written in the 1920s, "Fire and Ice" has never had as much relevance as it does now in the 21 st century. Frost's poem neatly expresses this ethical scenario in a nutshell. Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. It is warmth and light. You dont even have to continue reading unless youre hankering for some amazing analysis. It is primarily basic and contains a narrator recounting the end of the world in their own view. Fire is compared to desire when Frost states . 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. 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. A number of Frost poems and an in-depth biography of the poet. Though this trip occurred decades later than the composition of "Fire and Ice," it was no less about the potential end of the world. It revolves around the concept of "Armageddon". 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. Frost has tasted desire and it is connected with fire. Thus, love in the presence of a lot of hate has little chance of survival as it is poisoned by the hate. 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" perfectly encapsulates the poetic concept of metaphor. Like fires, our desires burn and are hard to put out. 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. 2 May 2012. 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