Introduction: Fire & Ice - Class 10 PDF Download

About the Author- Robert Frost
Robert Frost – A Short Biography

Robert Frost was a famous American poet. He was born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874. His father belonged to New England, and his mother was a Scottish immigrant from Edinburgh. By the 1920s, Frost was the most celebrated poet in America. His poetical works ‘A Boy’s Will’ (1913), ‘North of Boston’ (1914), `New Hampshire’ (1923), ‘A Further Range’ (1936) ‘Steeple Bush’ (1947) and ‘In the Clearing’ (1962) increased his fame and honour. The poem ‘Dust of Snow’ was published in ‘New Hampshire’ in 1923. This collection gave him the Pulitzer Prize.

 INTRODUCTION 

‘Fire and Ice’ is a highly symbolic poem by Robert Frost. This poem is a meditation about how the world will end the poet says that the fire of lusts and endless desires and ice of hatred among human beings will put this world to an end one day.

Central Idea of the Poem 

`Fire and Ice’, is an extremely compact little lyric. Not a syllable is wasted. The theme of the poem is the age-old question. The question is whether the world will end in fire or in ice. The poet decides that any of the two options would achieve its purpose sufficiently well. The poet shares the common belief that everything that exists will have its end too. People are divided on this issue. Some think that the natural element of fire will cause the destruction of this world. Others believe that ice will be the cause of the end. Putting in terms of human emotions, the element of ‘fire’ stands for passions, desires, and love. Unbridled passions and desires can cause the end of the world. The poet has experienced both these emotions. It doesn’t matter how the world will end. Even hate born out of cold and icy reason is sufficient to cause destruction and the end of the world.

Style 

The little lyrics is extremely compact. Not a single syllable is wasted. The aim is aphorism — brevity. For Frost truth remains ambiguous. The question goes unanswered. The subject is highly sublime. The treatment or language is very simple. The rhyme scheme of the poem is a, b, a, a; b, c, b, c, b.

Word-Meaning

Some — some people, End in fire — in the end, this world will end in a fireball, In ice — this world will freeze and ice will cause the end of this world,  From what I have tasted — (here) from my experience, Tasted of desire — experienced passions and desires in love, Hold with those — stand with those, support those persons, Who favour fire — those who believe that this world will end in fire,