Fire and ice poem meaning

Fire and ice is a highly symbolic poem by robert frost. This, coupled with the imagery that these symbols evoke, creates a multidimensional complexity to the poem. Robert frosts poem fire and ice expresses the profound idea that the world would end in either of two ways, either by ice or fire. So be careful about saying that ice is just as powerful as fire.

Fire and ice is one of robert frosts shortest poems but gives the reader much to ponder on. Fire and ice by robert frost in hindi summary explanation and full analysis class10th poem. Though written in the 1920s, fire and ice has never had as much relevance as it does now in the 21 st century. Possibly the poem holds out the poets belief that the opposed extremes most elemental in the long drama of mankind and desire and reason, heart and mind. Mar 05, 2012 fire and ice is a poem full of symbolic meaning and interesting uses of understatement and references to the end of the world. The issue that frost discusses is if the world will end in a blazing fire or in freezing ice. 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. He could be talking about the literal end of the world, but hes also talking about the power that. People are on both sides of the debate, and frost introduces the narrator to provide his personal take on the question of the end of the world. The poem tells that the possible idea of the destruction of the world would be through fire desire or ice hatred.

The aim is aphorismthe slaying of the elusive truthbeast with one unerring stroke. In the first line of the poem, frost indicates the. The last line picks up on the idea that we dont know whether fire or ice is stronger. Due to these passionate love lyrics, spensers poetry has come to represent true passion displayed through a fresh form. He finally concludes that both of these weapons are equally. These images are well created by the author to draw attention in form of warning sign. It is remarkable how many of frosts poems are located in a reality that is less than concrete. Many students along with various critics read this poem as frosts idea as to how the world is going to end. Robert frosts fire and ice essays 991 words bartleby. It features a narrator describing the end of the world in their own vision, and its largely simplistic.

For example, fire means feeling of heat, burning, and pain. Fire and ice figures of speech and imagery beaming notes. He has used the idea of two groups who have their own possible explanation for the end of the world. A lover and his muse are akin to fire and ice giving a new meaning to a hide and seek relationship. Fire and ice poem class 10 english book first flight cbse by kevin lopez duration. Get an answer for what is the central idea of the poem fire and ice. Fire and ice by robert frost poetry reading youtube. The two opinions are that this world will end either in fire or in ice. The poem varies between two meter lengths either eight syllables or four syllables and uses three sets of interwoven rhymes, based on ire, ice, and ate. The poem revolves around the question of how the world is going to end. Check out cbse class 10 english first flight poem fire and ice detailed summary, explanation of the story along with meaning of the difficult words. Fire and ice class 10 cbse english poem summary, explanation. Fire stands for desire as it spreads very fast if remains uncontrolled.

Dec 27, 2017 the theme of the poem is about choice and fear. Fire and ice by robert frost academy of american poets. Frost very explicitly makes fire a symbol for desire, and ice a symbol for hate. One of the most celebrated figures in american poetry, robert frost was the author of numerous poetry. The comparison of fire versus ice has been around for so long and is comparable to the yinyang, and the theme of imperfect balance. Fire and ice is a short rhyming poem frost wrote in 1920, probably inspired by dantes inferno. Judging by these lines alone, this could be a poem about theories of modern science.

From what ive tasted of desire i hold with those who favor fire. I was just wondering, what exactly is he trying to explain. Fire and ice some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. On a literal note, through the poem, robert frost has enunciated the scientific thoughts of his age, where it was scientifically predicted that the world will either be burnt down by its own heat or the heat of the sun or will burn out to become a ball of ice. A lot of thought most definitely went into the creation of this poem. But be careful theres no reason to think that these are all that fire and ice represent. The poet says that there are mainly two opinions about the end of this world, one by fire and another by ice. What does robert frost mean when he writes if the world had to perish twice.

Cbse class 10 english first flight extra questions chapter 2 fire and ice poem extract based questions 3 marks each read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow. May 22, 2018 an extremely precise and compact lyric, fire and ice traces the didactic tone of the speaker compressed into a terse and pithy language. The poem fire and ice is a short poem written by robert frost, possibly being inspired by inferno of dante. Summary of my love is like to ice, and i to fire my love is like to ice, and i to fire by edmund spenser describes the contradictory but also complementary personalities of. The speaker throws around two possibilities of destruction. The speaker considers the ageold question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice. Fire and ice the speaker brings us into the middle of an argument between people who think the world will come to a fiery end and people who think the world will freeze. Fire and ice explanation of the lines of the poem youtube. Figurative language in fire and ice analysis of fire and. In the symbolic aura of the poem, fire, and ice take up both literal and metaphorical stances.

An extremely compact little lyric, fire and ice combines humor, fury, detachment, forthrightness, and reserve in an airtight package. Fire and ice, a poem of only nine short lines, is written about destruction, about the inevitable demise that hatred and obsession will bring. When it comes to destruction, ice is in the same league as fire, but we dont know who would win a oneonone cage match. What deep meaning does the poem fire and ice convey in. Nov 16, 2018 fire and ice is a highly symbolic poem by robert frost. The poem fire and ice is more complex than it seems at first glance. I used wordle to make a word cloud from the poem fire and ice by robert frost.

Most people know the poem fire and ice by robert frost. Short, crisp, and tothepoint, he conveys a very profound message in just 9 lines. Ice stands for hatred as both are same in nature, they make us insensitive and rigid. But if it had to perish twice,i think i know enough of hateto say that for destruction iceis also. The move was actually a return, for frosts ancestors were originally new englanders, and frost became famous for his poetrys engagement with new england locales. Frost is famous for the accessibility of his works, and fire and ice is no different. 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. By changing the tense of the poem, frost forces the reader to look back at the first two lines and consider a new meaning. Robert frosts poem, fire and ice, conveys a simple but important theme about human behavior. Fire and frost is a poem written by robert frost that tells about distinction between two things that destroy the world little 176. It was first published in 1920 in harpers magazine.

Fire and ice poem meaning for the poet, fire means the burning desire for the material things and ice means coldness that emerges in humans because of the desires and materialistic life. Robert frosts fire and ice interpretation analysis and. Fire and ice by robert frost famous poems, famous poets. Specifically, they represent emotions like desire and hate. Scroll down for our example using the poem fire and ice by robert frost. The pattern or structure of fire and ice is aba abc bcb. He finally concludes that both of these weapons are equally dangerous and will lead the world towards destruction. Analysis of my love is like to ice, and i to fire by. Because of the deeper meaning that fire and ice take on, the application and understanding of the poem is altered. Fire and ice, class 10,by robert frost explained in hindi. My teacher has assigned my class to memorize the poem fire and ice by robert frost. In the first two lines of the poem, frost creates a clear dichotomy between fire and ice and the two groups of people that believe in each element. Symbolically interpreting the poem, fire stands for the heat of love and passion, while ice for the cold of hate. There are several themes in the poem fire and ice by robert frost, including fear, love, hate and choices.

From what ive tasted of desire i hold with those who favour fire. Fire and ice is a short rhyming poem frost wrote in 1920, probably inspired by dantes 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. This nineline poem was supposedly the inspiration for the title of george r. Summary and analysis composed in 1919, this poem was published in harpers magazine in december, 1920 and in 1923 in his pulitzer prize winning book new hampshire.

Poems study guide contains a biography of poet robert frost, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. The symbolsfire and ice have been used for human emotions like desire and hatred respectively. Cbse class 10 english first flight extra questions chapter. Meaning of fire and ice the poem itself does not require a large amount of explanation as to meaning of words or phrases, due to frosts concentration on making the poem. In the first two lines, we dont yet know that they are symbols. Fire and ice was inspired by a passage in canto 32 of dantes inferno. He dwells on two causes that are believed to end the world fire or ice. The poem revolves around the two symbols of fire and ice. Initially, frost wants the reader to contemplate the destructive powers of fire and ice. Meaning of fire and ice the poem itself does not require a large amount of explanation as to meaning of words or phrases, due to frosts concentration on making the poem readable and understandable by all. Mar 03, 2012 in the poem fire and ice, robert frost attaches a deeper meaning to the words fire and ice through symbolism. The poem is packed with numerous emotions, such as humor, want, animosity and bluntness, and it leaves the reader with an ambiguous response to the choices presented. Whats the meaning behind the poem fire and ice by robert. Fire and ice is one of the bestknown and most widely anthologised poems by the american poet robert frost 18741963.

While the poem still is interpreted as a warning against these behaviors in the broad scheme of the world, in concordance with the war that was occurring, it also begins to take on a more personal level. But i think it says something important about the state of our world with more eloquence than other poems try for in thousands of line. Symbolism of the poem fire and ice by robert frost. Fire and ice is a popular poem by american poet robert frost 18741963. Fire and ice is written as a series of nine lines, alternating between three. Robert frosts fire and ice fire and ice is a popular poem written in 1923 by robert frost. May 22, 2018 fire and ice by robert frost critical analysis. Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. I personally thought it represented how the world would be destroyed by neither fire or ice. The aim of this video is to help break down the literal and metaphorical meanings in frosts fire and ice.

Here is ncert solutions and important questionanswer for the poem fire and ice. In the poem fire and ice, robert frost attaches a deeper meaning to the words fire and ice through symbolism. The poet, through this poem, wants to convey that selfish desires and hatred holds the power in it to destroy the whole world. Fire can also melt ice, which could mean desire can be stronger than hate, and that is most likely why robert frost had sided with fire in the first place. This poem is a meditation about how the world will end the poet says that the fire of lusts and endless desires and ice of hatred among human beings will put this world to an end one day. Ice and fire, of course, are opposites of one another, suggesting that most people have entirely opposing views on the apocalypse after all, the world cant end in ice and fire at the same time. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. But do most people know the meaning of this unique poem. In the poem, frost is the narrator and he is speaking to the readers. The tone of the speaker is undercut with humor, wrath, passion, fury, objective detachment and. Poem analysis of fire and ice by robert frost essay bartleby. Ice on the other hand, shows how people that show hate usually have more cold personalities. Some say the world will end in fire,some say in ice.

Martins a song of ice and fire, and lends a curiously apocalyptic meaning to game of thrones. 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 poems title. Fire and ice by robert frost analysis beaming notes. Fire and ice is a short lyric of barely 9 lines yet full of meaning.

Robert frost was born in san francisco, but his family moved to lawrence, massachusetts, in 1884 following his fathers death. With fire the world will be burned and rebuilt with its ashes, but ice would bury the old ways in frost and pave the new ones. Through analysis of the poem fire and ice by robert frost, this lesson plan supports students in developing an understanding of symbolism and theme in poetry. It was published in december 1920 in harpers magazine and in 1923 in his pulitzer prize. The very vagueness of the opening word, some, locates the ideas of the poem in that vague, openended world of hearsay or speculation. It suggests humankind will obliterate it singlehandly with hatred. For the poet, fire means the burning desire for the material things and ice means coldness that emerges in humans because of the desires and materialistic life. That fire, which all things melts, should harden ice, and ice, which is congeald with senseless cold, should kindle fire by wonderful device. Humans have raided the planet in an attempt to satisfy their desires. Regarding the rhetoric devices, an example of assonance that we can identify in the poem is the first verse which reads, my love is like to ice and i to fire. Although it is short, fire and ice is a puzzling poem filled with words that hold a meaning that we have to unlock.

Fire and ice analysis literary devices and poetic devices. Casual in tone, with cliches, it introduces to the. But when the speaker associates fire with desire and ice with hate, we know that fire and ice are symbols for human. From what ive tasted of desirei hold with those who favor fire. It is a very well known poem and is used in many high schools and colleges today. Robert frosts fire and ice interpretation analysis and technique a. Aug 17, 2018 cbse class 10 english first flight extra questions chapter 2 fire and ice poem extract based questions 3 marks each read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow. Some say the world will end in fire some say in ice. Frosts use of fire and ice, however, is largely a metaphoric decision that opens the poem up to different kinds of interpretation. In robert frosts fire and ice, fire represents desire and ice hatred. The meaning of the poem is that humans can be selfdestructive. It is not clear whether frost was of an ecologicallyaware bent of mind, but his present readers certainly are. Cbse class 10 english first flight extra questions chapter 2. What is the analysis of the poem fire and ice by robert.

As this poem is about the apocalypse, the poet expresses how the world will end. The tpcastt poetry analysis is a stepbystep tool to help you understand poetry more fully. Ostensibly, the poem fire and ice by robert frost is about the hypothetical end of the world, with the speaker asserting that it will be destroyed either by fire or by ice. The poem does not allow for any other possibilities in terms of the worlds fate, just as there are not any other opinions allowed in the blackandwhite debate between fire and ice. A summary of fire and ice in robert frosts frosts early poems. Simple language that portrays significant meaning of hatred and desire is evident in the poem. Interestingly, the two possibilities for the worlds destruction correspond directly to a common scientific debate during the time frost wrote the poem. A poem about the end of days, when the world will end by either fire or ice. Oct 01, 2017 fire and ice poem class 10, by robert frost, explained in hindi for important questions answers visit. Because of the deeper meaning that fire and ice take on, the application and understanding of the poem is.

Fire and ice is one of robert frosts most popular poems. It discusses the end of the world, likening the elemental force of fire with the emotion of desire, and ice with hate. In the poem fire and ice, robert frost uses a sarcastic tone to warn us about the dangers that planet earth could face, if we do not keep our desires and negative emotions in control. A new critical analysis of the poem fire and ice fire and ice by robert frost some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. The aim of the poet is aphoristic, where concise statements are packed with general or philosophical truth. The poem has a symbolic, even allegorical quality to it, which makes more sense when it is analysed in its literary and historical context. Robert frosts poem fire and ice is a strong symbolic poem where fire is used as the emotion of desire and ice, that of hatred. The poem says the world will end with fire and with ice at the same time.

Desire and hate are merely examples that fall in a broader category. Consider the title and make a prediction about what the poem is about. The speaker is able to generalize that the world will end in. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of frosts early poems and what it means. But if it had to perish twice, i think i know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great. Mar 06, 2012 in robert frosts fire and ice, fire represents desire and ice hatred. Whats the meaning behind the poem fire and ice by robert frost. Although it is short, fire and ice is a puzzling poem filled with words. Analysis of poem fire and ice by robert frost owlcation. Despite its light and conversational tone, fire and ice is a bleak poem that highlights human beings talent for selfdestruction.