FIRE AND ICE
~Summary~
-by Robert Frots
Stanza- 1
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
Explanation: The poet is analysing about the end of the world. The poet provides and deals with two possible causes for the end of the world. He considers the age-old question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice. Both the two reasons contrast each other and are equally opposite to each other. On one side of the debate are those people who are in favour of fire. They believe that it will be the heat and the passion, which will lead the humanity, the world, to end. On the other side of the debate are those people who favour ice and feel that it will be the ‘ice which will freeze the world.
Frost is providing a powerful statement on the subject of greed and jealousy. He is saying that above anything else, even hatred, which is the trait of humanity, is most likely to lead the world to its demise.
Stanza- 2
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.
Explanation: The poet is very much sure of the destruction of the humanity. He first talks about the destruction caused by fire and in case this fails, then ice will result into hatred that will end humanity one day. Frost goes on to discuss, in a more understated manner, the power of hate, which is symbolised in the poem by ice. Hate, according to the speaker, is just as powerful as desire. While desire consumes, quickly, hate is just as great and powerful. Infact, by ending the poem with the concept of hate.
‘Frost directs the reader to the shy yet restrained devastation that hate can produce. Hate can occur and linger in people’s minds and hearts for years’, sometimes even lifetimes. Hate is presented as having the ability to lead to the destruction of the world if it were to happen for a second time, again providing a powerful warning against this human fallacy (misunderstanding).
Conclusion of Fire and Ice
The poem is revolving around the theme that human emotions are destructive, and has two possible forms.