"Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost


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.

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.



** Remember to write down words you don't know in your journal and find out the definition!



SOME DEFINITIONS:


desire: a strong feeling of wanting to have something/wishing for something to happen.

favour: a liking for someone/something.

perish: to suffer complete ruin or destruction.

destruction: the action of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired.

suffice: to be enough.


1. Rhyme

What is rhyme?

Rhyme is when more than one word ends with the same sounding sound.


EXAMPLE:

"From what I've tasted of desire, / I hold with those who favour fire."

2. Symbols

What is a symbol?

A symbol is something that represents/stands for something else--especially a material object representing something abstract. (Abstract: not a material object.)


EXAMPLE:

Desire = fire. / Hate = ice.

Questions to think/talk about:

  • What is the significance of the title of this poem?

  • How often does the poem rhyme? Is there a pattern?

  • What do the symbols of 'fire' and 'ice' tell you about the speaker?

  • In this poem, 'ice' is a symbol for hate. Make a list of what else ice can be a symbol for. (Eg. paranoia, unexplored territory, death.)