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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 favor 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.
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Brian Paul
LIT2030 Assignment #2 (FD)
March 27th, 2009
Prof. Gifford
Fire and Ice
Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice” compares these opposing forces to each other and to
two human emotions: desire and hate. Although fire and ice are physical, tangible things, Frost
uses them as representations of how desire and hate can both also be destructive. This
fundamental relationship is the basis of Frost’s poem, and the whole piece rests on his skillful
use of symbols in this discussion of the two extremes. Frost uses the destructive forces of fire
and ice as symbols to relate how their physical impact is an analogue of the powerful potential of
the human emotions desire and hate.
In order to communicate his views on the power of human emotions, Frost uses an
analogy that is well known to most people and easy to understand. From the beginning the poem
sets up the basis for the comparison with “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice”
(1-2) which lets the reader know the poem will consider the two opposite forces. He introduces
the first analogy in the following two lines with “From what I’ve tasted of desire / I hold with
those who favor fire” (3-4) where his knowledge of desire directly influences his decision to
favor fire. This relationship implies that fire and desire are similar forces within their respective
realms: physical and emotional. Frost then connects the force of ice to hate by saying “I think I
know enough of hate / To say that for destruction ice / Is also great” (6-8) which implies that
they are the two similar forces opposing fire and desire. Through these relationships Frost
connects the two pairs of forces in a way that provokes a lot of thought about what deeper
meaning the simple comparison may imply.
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The two symbols Frost chose to use for representing desire and hate are arguably the best
possible. Their opposing physical characteristics are consistent with the laws of nature as we
know them; black opposes white, dark opposes light, day opposes night, and so on. Fire and
desire need very little explanation of their similarities. In this extreme and destructive context,
desire is a word often associated with fiery passion, excitement and energy. In much the same
way, fire radiates heat energy and burns with furious intensity when it is let out of control. Hate
is a term that tends to invoke a feeling of cold, dark resentment, while ice is naturally cold and
shares its morbid darkness in the way it drains life from things. Frost’s simple metaphors and
language make these associations easy to recognize and relate to, which is important for ensuring
that the reader can understand the comparisons enough to hypothesize their meanings;
unnecessary wording and use of poetic elements can clutter a poem and make it difficult to
comprehend.
Fire and ice are effectively used to symbolize our human characteristics and amplify the
feeling associated with each, but the message of the poem lies in the comparison between the
two pairs. After making the consideration between fire and ice, the reader is almost forced to ask
him or herself whether desire or hate is more destructive. Desire can be much like the
overwhelming intensity of a raging fire; given the right conditions it feeds itself and grows until
it becomes greed, eventually dissolving the moral foundation on which humans must operate in
order to prosper. Although it is opposite, hate can be equally as powerful. Humans thrive on
trust, love and building relationships, but hate works against these forces. In a way this poem
illustrates a double-edged sword by giving only two scenarios—both extremes: a quick and
painful end, or a drawn-out but less painful one. Frost leaves it to the reader to decide which is
the lesser of two evils.
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There is another observation to be made about his parallels between physical and
emotional forces. This poem deals primarily with the negative impact these forces can have; fire
and ice are both destructive forces when put in the context of how the world will end, but they
are not harmful when controlled properly. In much the same way both desire and hate have the
potential to damage people’s lives and relationships if they are not kept in check. None of these
forces are inherently bad, which suggests that Frost merely wanted to say that any force, if
uncontrolled, can be harmful.
There are many poetic elements that help make a good poem, but Frost’s use of symbols
in “Fire and Ice” are essential to its existence. Without the layers of meaning he conveys
through the relationships he draws, this piece would be nothing more than a statement about how
our physical world might end. The implications made about the energy and destructive potential
of human emotions, found deeper within the poem, make it worth reading. Frost expertly uses
fire and ice as symbols to parallel their characteristics to that of similar human emotions.
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WORKS CITED
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