Fire and Ice In the poem “Fire and Ice,” by Robert Frost, everyone seems to have their own opinion on the message Frost was trying to convey. A poem not structured by fact, but of opinion. Throughout the poem, Frost uses metaphor, imagery, and little bit of alliteration to convey his message. Frost was implying that the human nature could lead to the destruction of mankind. There is also an interesting anecdote in Frost’s personal history that might explain why he chose this motif for this poem. Harlow Shapley claimed he inspired Robert Frost to write “Fire and Ice meeting with a great American astronomer Harlow Shapley the year before the poem appeared (1920), Frost asked how the world would end and Shapley said either the sun would expand and Earth would destroyed in a conflagration (fire) or it would die and the Earth would freeze solid (ice). With all of these influences, its small wonder that Frost wrote this philosophical gem or that it took the form it did. (Hansen) Frost begins his poem briefly describing his opinion on how the world will end. Fire is greed and desire while ice is cold hatred. Whether it shall burn in flames or freeze over forever on. The next two lines then followed by the word “I” which more emphasizes the factor of opinion. Along, with opinion, it also creates a more personal and emotional effect that helps connect with the reader. Between the same two lines that contain the word “I” Frost mentions his opinion on how the world will supposedly end, “From what I taste of desire I hold with those who favor fire” (703). The word desire is being compared to fire, and like a fire, desire, or greed, spreads rapidly and demolish everything in it’s path, until there is no more left to burn. Frost then goes on to mention the alternate option of the world’s end, ice. According to Frost, “but if I had a perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great.” In this quote, Frost mentions a second chance of life. The second chance indicates the possibility of the world not ending from desire, but of hate. However, the sense of desire may be leading into the end first, if there was a second chance hate would and could easily take over. The final line of the poem is far the most important line because “and would suffice” means to make adequate or equal. Frost is implying that no mater what happens, the end would be sufficed, or equal. Whether the world ends in fire or ice, the final outcome will be the same corrosion of humanity. The Criticism on “Fire and Ice”
“Frost is a master at making simple words say profound things. Here, he takes an idle daydream, a whimsical (albeit slightly dark) musing, and converts it into a telling insight the destructive power of desire and hate, fire and ice respectively. The metaphor is apt, and powerful: just as fire and ice and may one day destroy the external, physical world, desire and hate destroy the internal, spiritual one”. Very gnomic, and very Frost. (Thomas) Overall, the beginning Frost implies that there can be only a single choice between fire and ice, to recognize the requirements by acknowledging that both elements could successfully destroy the world. The symbolic elements say that too much fire and passion can quickly consume a relationship, while cold indifference and hate can be equally destructive and they both can destroy. Fire and ice defines isolation, from society.
However, Frost personal experience is more emotional, associating passionate desire with fire and hatred with ice. This poem is not defined because it’s about two subjects that are not answer, which the reader needs to come to their own conclusions. Work cited
Hansen, Tom. “Fire and Ice”. The Explicator 59.1(2000): 27. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 May. 2011
Kennedy, Gioia. Literature An Introduction to Fiction, poetry, drama, and writing. United states, 2010. Print
Robert, Frost. The Poetry of Robert Frost. United states, 2009. Print