POEM- FIRE AND ICE

Very Short Answers:

1. How can fire destroy the world?
Answer:’
Fire’ symbolizes passion or hatred. It will lead to conflicts and ultimately result in
the destruction of the world. Fire represents desire that is fervent, consuming,
always wanting more. Ice represents hatred that ¡s hard and cold.

2. What message does the poet wish to convey through the poem ‘Fire and
‘Ice’?
What is the central idea of the poem ‘Fire and ‘Ice’?
Answer:
The poet presents two possibilities about the end of the world. It will be either due
to ‘Fire and ‘Ice’ he prefers the first as he believes the world will end in fire but the
ice will not go away.

3. What does the poet think about the end of the world?
Answer:
The poet thinks about the end of the world that people think fire is the main cause of
destruction. But by the end of the poem he says that both Fire and Ice are equally
destructive. Both have the same power of causing destruction.

4. What do ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ symbolize in the poem ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’?
Answer:
‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ are symbolized here. ‘Fire’ stands for conflict, fury, intolerance,
insensitivity while ‘Ice stands for greed, avarice, lust, rigidity, coldness,
indifference, hatred, etc.

5. What do you think would be enough to destroy the world? Can Fire and Ice
contribute to it?

Answer: Our desires and hatred would be enough to destroy the world. According
to the poet, `fire’ represents ‘desire’ and `ice’ represents `hatred’. Desires like fire
spread rapidly and engulf one’s whole life. Similarly, ‘hatred’ fills life with poison.

6. What is the message of the poem ‘Fire and Ice’?

Answer: The metaphors of ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ are used very effectively to convey a
definite message to the readers. ‘Fire’ here stands for our unbridled, uncontrolled
and unchecked passions, desires, lust and fury. Such passions are disastrous for
human beings. Similarly cold reasoning devoid of all human warmth, love,
sympathy will bring insensitivity, cruelty and rigidity. This hatred will lead to the
end of this world.
7. From when I have tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
Why does the poet hold with those who favour fire?

Answer: The poet sides with those who believe that the world will be destroyed by
fire. ‘Fire’ is a symbol of desire. The poet has already experienced desire. On the
basis of his experience, he knows that excessive desire will destroy the world. That
is why he holds with those who favour fire.

8. But if it has to perish twice

I think I know enough of hate.
What does ‘it’ refer to? How will it perish twice?

Answer: ‘It’ here refers to the world. The poet says that people hold different
opinions about the end of the world. Some say ‘fire’, which stands for ‘desire’, will
destroy the world. Secondly, ‘ice’, which stands for ‘hatred’ can also destroy the
world.

9. To say that for destruction ice

Is also great
In the poem what does ‘ice’ stand for? How is it sufficient to bring destruction?

Answer: ‘Ice’ stands for ‘hatred’. Hatred may be religious, communal or of any
other type. According to the poet, there is enough hatred in the world which will
destroy the external, physical world one day.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. How does the poem depicts the two contrasting ideas— ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? Can
hatred destroy us and the world? Explain bringing out values which can make
this world a better place to live in.

Answer: (i) In this poem, Robert Frost refers to two contrasting ideas—Fire and Ice
as predictions of how the world will end. According to him, some people say that
the world will end in a fire while some others hold that this will end in ice. The poet
equates desire with fire and hatred with ice. Both the desire and hatred are growing
with such a rapid speed that the world will come to an end either of the ways.
(ii) Yes, hatred can destroy us and the world. Intolerance in behaviour creates hatred
that leads to fury and cruelty. One becomes hard-hearted and insensitive to the
feelings of others.
(iii) Love, brotherhood, tolerance, peace, contentment, sensitivity, benevolence,
generosity among people can make this world a better place to live in.

2 .It is a Hobson’s Choice that the poet faces in the poem ‘Fire and Ice’. Illustrate
this thought, with the help of examples from the poem.
Answer:
The poem talks about the end of the world by fire, which symbolizes greed in
humanity. Others feel that the end will come about by ice, which symbolizes hate.
Thus humanity faces a choice which is really no choice, because the end result is
destruction in both cases. The choices are illustrated on a personal level, as both of
them affect individual destruction equally.

The poet uses a tight and clipped method of presenting the choices to emphasize the
importance of his message of there being no alternatives. The theme of the poem,
based on destruction through greed and hatred, illustrates the proverb Hobson’s
Choice, gives the poem a profound and meaningful undercurrent.

3. Today’s world is conflict ridden. People fight over various issues and there is no
peace in the world. Explain/Describe based on your reading of the poem ‘Fire’ and
‘Ice’.
Answer:
Hatred is a predominant issue in today’s world. Neighbour hates his neighbour,
brother hates his brother None is willing to forgive each other or tolerate each other
As a result of the hatred we live in a very fragmented world. If hatred continues to
rule our lives and world, nothing will remain intact. All our achievements will
perish and the world will come to an end If we have to save the world we need to
learn how to forget and forgive. For this we need to have enormous amount of love
and compassion and be willing to tolerate the differences and learn to get along with
each other.

4. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing
out the contrasting ideas in the poem?

Answer: The rhyme scheme of the poem in the first stanza is a, b; a band in the
second stanza it is – a, b, a, b, a.
The lines ending with the same rhythm have the same idea but the line that
ends with a different note has the contrasting idea. In the first stanza, the first,
third and fourth lines end with the words fire, desire, fire – same rhythm but the
second line ends with the word ‘ice’, a different note, also it contrasts with ‘fire’.

5. There are many ideas about how this world will come to an ‘end’. What
are they? Do you agree with the poet and his understanding of the poet
and his understanding of the issue in this regard?

Answer: Almost all think that this world will end at one time or the other. It is
true that everything that has a beginning or origin will come to an end too.
There are many ideas about how this world will come to an end. Some think
that ‘fire’ will be the cause of the ‘end’ of the world. Others believe that ‘ice’ will
bring the end of the world. Both of these ideas have their valid reasons. The
poet sides and stands with those who believe that ‘fire’ will be the cause of the
‘end’.
The poet is well aware of how the ‘fire’ of unbridled passions, desires, lust, and
fury can lead to the destruction of humanity and the world. But the other view
is equally convincing. Cold and ‘icy’ reasoning can create insensitivity, rigidity,
frigidity, and indifference in man. Ultimately, it breeds ‘hatred’ and contempt.
This kind of ‘icy’ reasoning which is devoid of all human warmth, sympathy,
love, and understanding will only bring destruction and death of this world.
I believe that both ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ have strong potentialities to bring disasters
and destruction to the world.

6. What do the metaphors of ‘ice’ and ‘fire’ convey to the readers? Don’t
they represent the two extremes of human behaviour that can lead to the
destruction and death of this world? What is the message that the poet
wants to give to the readers?

Answer: The poet has touched the universal issue of the ending of this existing
world. He gives a message as well as a warning to human beings. Man is
swaying between two extremes — ‘fire’ and ‘ice’. Sometimes he is torn by his
unbridled fire of passions, desires, lusts, longings, and fury. This results in greed,
avarice and passionate love. All such extremes can lead to unavoidable conflicts
and disasters. If not controlled, they can help in bringing an early end of this
world.The other extreme behaviour of human beings is born out of cold and
‘icy’ reasoning. When our cold reasoning becomes completely devoid of human
warmth, feelings, love, and sympathy, it breeds hatred. Hatred born out of cold
indifference, insensitivity and rigidity are strong enough to cause the end of this
world. Humanity can redeem itself and possibly save or delay the end of the
world by giving up such extremes of thinking and behaviour.