Fire and Ice ( Summary and main points)
There are many ideas about how the world will end. If we think about todays condition , there are many things that may destroy the world, here the great poet , Robert Frost predicts the destruction of the world considering certain evil qualities. Symbolically he uses fire and ice for the destruction of the world.
Here fire stands for hatred, cruelty, anger, desire etc whereas ice stands for coldness, insensitivity, intolerance, jealousy etc.
In the first stanza,, the poet thinks that this world is filled with fire which symbolizes the above mentioned qualities. Some people think that this world will end because of fire based qualities like desire, anger, cruelty etc, some people think that this world will because of ice based qualities like coldness, insensitivity, jealousy etc. The poet personally opines that this world end because of fire based qualities and he agrees with the people.
In second stanza , the poet changes his assumption pattern. He thinks that if the world shall end twice, it will end due to hatred, as hatred is spreading among the people lavishly, Not only hatred, but the ice based qualities mentioned above are sufficient to end the world.
The central idea of the poem is that because of certain evil qualities among the people like desire, hatred, passion, cruelty will spoil the world.
Key features:
1 Rhyme scheme of the poem a b a a,
a b a b a
2. Difficult words: some refers for people, tasted means experienced, hold with means agree, perish means die or end, it refers to the world, suffice means sufficient
Important questions with answers:
1) What does fire stand for?
Ans: Here in this poem, fire stands for cruelty, hatred , fury and temper
2) What does ice stand for?
Ans: Here ice stands for coldness, insensitivity and intolerance
3)Why does the poet stand with those who believe that the world will end in fire?
Ans: The poet stands with those who believe that the world will end in fire as the poet has the experience of the evils of these facts.
4) What is the message conveyed through this poem?
Ans: The poem conveys a great message that this world will end because of qualities related to fire like fury, hatred , cruelty and also qualities related to ice like coldness , intolerance and indifference, the poet expects that people should love to each other, only their love will save the world.
5) why according to the poet,the qualities in form ice are sufficient to bring destruction?
Ans: According to the poet, the qualities in form of ice are sufficient to bring destruction because of ice based qualities like coldness, indifference , intolerance , hatred invite anger and other evil qualities bringing about destruction
6)What do people think of the destruction of the world?
Ans: People think that this world will end in fire or in ice as fire stands for passion, hatred, passion, intense desire whereas ice stands for coldness intolerance , indifference etc.
