Important words with Mnemonics: Poem - Fire and Ice | English Class 10 PDF Download

Difficult Words & Phrases

1. Word: Some
Meaning: A few, certain
Sentence from the poem: "Some say the world will end in fire"
Mnemonic: “Some = Some, not sum!”
→ It's not the total — just a part of the whole.

2. Word: World
Meaning: Our existence, realm of life
Sentence from the poem: "Some say the world will end in fire"
Mnemonic: World = W-O-R-L-D = Where Our Real Life Develops
→ Everything we do and become happens in this world.

3. Word: End
Meaning: Culmination, ultimate fate
Sentence from the poem: "Some say the world will end in fire"
Mnemonic: END = Everything’s Now Done

4. Word: Fire
Meaning: Desire, passion
Sentence from the poem: "Some say the world will end in fire"
Mnemonic: FIRE = Fierce Inner Rage Erupting

5. Word: Ice
Meaning: Hatred, coldness
Sentence from the poem: "Some say in ice"
Mnemonic: ICE = I Can’t Empathize

6. Word: Tasted
Meaning: Experienced, undergone
Sentence from the poem: "From what I’ve tasted of desire"
Mnemonic: Tasted = Sampled life experience

7. Word: Hold
Meaning: Adhere to, side with
Sentence from the poem: "I hold with those who favour fire"
Mnemonic: Hold = Hang On, Loyal Decision

8. Word: Those
Meaning: Specific individuals
Sentence from the poem: "I hold with those who favour fire"
Mnemonic: Those = The Humans Of Shared Experience

9. Word: Perish
Meaning: End tragically, be destroyed
Sentence from the poem: "But if it had to perish twice"
Mnemonic: PERISH = Pain Ends, Rest In Silent Heaven

10. Word: Twice
Meaning: Two times, repeating
Sentence from the poem: "But if it had to perish twice"
Mnemonic: Twice = Time Repeats Itself Clearly Everytime

11. Word: Think
Meaning: Believe, reason
Sentence from the poem: "I think I know enough of hate"
Mnemonic: THINK = Thoughtful Humans In Need of Knowledge

12. Word: Know
Meaning: Be aware of, deeply understand
Sentence from the poem: "I think I know enough of hate"
Mnemonic: KNOW = Knowledge Now On Watch

13. Word: Enough
Meaning: Adequately, sufficiently
Sentence from the poem: "I think I know enough of hate"
Mnemonic: Enough sounds like “in-auff” → I’ve got all I need ‘in-off’
→ Easy way to remember: "in" your hand is "enough" to satisfy.

14. Word: Destruction
Meaning: Annihilation, complete end
Sentence from the poem: "To say that for destruction ice is also great"
Mnemonic: Destruction = Destroy + Action
→ It’s the action that causes things to break, fall apart, or be ruined.

15. Word: Great
Meaning: Immense, overpowering
Sentence from the poem: "To say that for destruction ice is also great"
Mnemonic: “Great means greater than good!”
→ If something is not just good, but even better — it’s great.

16. Word: Would
Meaning: Indicates a possibility, potential
Sentence from the poem: "And would suffice"
Mnemonic: “Would is what you would do — if you could.”
→ Easy to remember: It shows desire or intent, not a sure action.

Literary Devices & Concepts

1. Word: Rhyme Scheme
Meaning: Pattern of similar sounds at the end of lines
Reference from the poem: Stanza 1 – abaa, Stanza 2 – ababa
Mnemonic: Rhyme = Repeating Beats At Line Endings
 Imagine labeling each line of a poem with A, B, C depending on how they sound — that’s your rhyme scheme!

2. Word: Symbolism
Meaning: Using symbols to represent ideas or qualities
Reference from the poem: “Fire” symbolizes desire; “Ice” symbolizes hatred
Mnemonic: Symbolism = Saying Your Message By Object, Line, Image, Sign, Meaning
→ Each part of the word helps you recall that symbols carry deeper messages.

3. Word: Imagery
Meaning: Visually descriptive language appealing to the senses
Reference from the poem: “Some say the world will end in fire”
Mnemonic: “Imagery paints with words.”
→ Like a painter uses colors, a writer uses words to make you see, hear, or feel something.

4. Word: Personification
Meaning: Giving human characteristics to non-human things
Reference from the poem: Fire and ice are described as capable of destroying the world
Mnemonic: Personification = Person + Fiction
→ You make a non-human thing act like a person in fiction!

5. Word: Anaphora
Meaning: Repetition of a word at the beginning of successive lines
Reference from the poem: “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice.”
Mnemonic: Anaphora sounds like “Anna for a... Anna for a...”
→ Imagine someone saying “Anna for a leader, Anna for a friend…” — repeating the beginning for effect.

6. Word: Alliteration
Meaning: Repetition of the same initial consonant sounds
Reference from the poem: “Favour fire”, “world will”
Mnemonic:  Alliteration = “Alike Letters Lead”
→ Alike beginning sounds lead the words — all start with the same sound.

7. Word: Assonance
Meaning: Repetition of vowel sounds within close words
Reference from the poem: “I hold with those who favour fire.”
Mnemonic: Assonance = "A + Sound + On + Words"
→ Think of the vowel sound being “on” the words — softly repeating.

8. Word: Enjambment
Meaning: Continuation of a sentence without pause beyond a line
Reference from the poem: “From what I’ve tasted of desire / I hold with those who favour fire.”
Mnemonic: “Enjambment = No end, just bend!”
→ The sentence bends into the next line without stopping.

9. Word: Metaphor
Meaning: A direct comparison between unlike things
Reference from the poem: “Fire” and “Ice” represent desire and hatred
Mnemonic: Metaphor = Meaning Transferred Directly
→ A metaphor transfers meaning from one thing to another — like calling a person “a rock” to mean they’re strong.

10. Word: Antithesis
Meaning: Opposing ideas presented for contrast
Reference from the poem: “Some say the world will end in fire / Some say in ice.”
Mnemonic: Antithesis = Anti + Thesis → Opposite + Idea
→ Think: “Anti” means opposite, and “thesis” means idea — so it’s a sentence that presents opposite ideas together.