FIRE AND ICE - By Robert Frost ANSWER KEY 1. The tone of the poet in the line: Ice is also great/ And would suffice is: a. Worried b. Enthusiastic c. Appreciative d. Sarcastic 2. The literary device used in the line: From what I have tasted of desire/ I hold with those who favour fire a. Alliteration b. Simile c. Metaphor d. Irony 3. The meaning of ‘from what I have tasted of desire’ is a. The poet is greedy b. From his experience with greedy people c. He has met people having a lot of desire d. Whatever desire he has about the world Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: “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.” (i) What does ‘ice’ refer to? a. Love c. violent desire b. hatred d. none of the above (ii) Name the literary device used in the first two lines of the above extract: a. Personification b. Alliteration c. Irony d. Anaphora (iii) The rhyme scheme in the above lines is ________. a. a b aa b. aa bb c. ab ab d. ab ba (iv) What does the poet compare fire with? a. Hatred b. desire c. hot d. both 1 and 3 (v) ‘Fire and Ice’ is a highly symbolic poem because _____. a. it is a mediation about how the earth will end b. it uses contradicting ideas c. it incorporates scientific terms d. none of the above II Answer the following questions in 20-30 words: 1. What is the underlying idea of the poem `Fire and Ice’? The poem revolves around the theme that human emotions can be destructive when we lose our control over them at some point of our life. They can destroy our conscience and lead us to problems, conflicts and grudges. Fire represents desire and Ice represents hate. 2. In the poem what does ‘ice’ stand for? How is it sufficient to bring destruction? Ice’ symbolizes hatred. Hate is just as powerful as desire. While desire consumes quickly, hate can occur and linger in people’s minds and hearts for years and sometimes even lifetimes. Hate consumes the hater perhaps even more than the person or group hated and it can ruin lives. Hate can, thus, be very destructive and sufficient to bring destruction. III. Answer the following questions in 40-50 words: 1. Why does the poet hold with those who favor fire? The poet takes side with those who believe that the world will be destroyed by fire. Frost connects fire with desire. According to the poet, desire is powerful and would be a quick end. Moreover, the fact that he has had personal experience with desire leads him to conclude that the world will end in fire. 2. What does the word ‘it’ refer to in the poem? How will it perish twice? “It” refers to the world. According to the poet, the world will end due to the ‘fire’, which symbolizes desire. But if the world had to end twice then it will be due to the hatred symbolized by ‘ice’. The poet feels that there is enough hatred in the world that is spreading among the people. This hatred will end the world one day. III Answer the following question in 100-120 words: 1. Discuss how extreme behaviour can hasten the end of the world with respect to ‘Fire and Ice’. ‘Fire’ symbolises desire and ‘Ice’ symbolises hatred. Desire is a kind of intense love or want that focuses people on getting and possessing and acquiring. Our society is full of people who spend their lives working to get a bigger and better TV, a more stylish car or a more extravagant house. This kind of desire can lead people to destruction in the form of bankruptcy or even broken relationships. Frost’s poem speaks on the issue of greed corrupting people and even society. The power of hate, which is symbolised by ice is just as great as desire. While desire consumes quickly hate produces shy yet restrained devastation. For instance, Kate is the root cause of racism and war. It can linger in people’s mind for lifetimes. Moreover, it consumes the hater even more than the person hated. It thus, ruins lives.
