The American literature

                   Assignment

Name: Rupa Bambhaniya

Paper No: 10 The American literature

Enrollment no: 2069108420200002

Class: M.A sem 3

Submitted by: Smt.S.B.Gardhi, Department of English

Email I'd: rupabambhniya166@gmail.com

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.

   

  

Robert Frost was an American poet and winner of four Pulitzer Prizes. Famous works include “Fire and Ice,” “Mending Wall,” “Birches,” “Out Out,” “Nothing Gold Can Stay” and “Home Burial.” His 1916 poem, "The Road Not Taken," is often read at graduation ceremonies across the United States.

 Frost wanted to be different, but he also valued the use of traditional stanzas and metrical lines. He wrote various types of poetry, but he seemed to particularly like a quatrain with simple rhymes like abab and abcb. He rarely wrote in free verse, but was known to write a lot in blank verse.

According to Frost, nature is not only the source of pleasure, but also an inspiration for human wisdom. People will get the enlightenment from observation (as in the “Birches”). Nature becomes a central character in his poetry rather than merely a background. Nature is employed as a metaphor in Frost's poems.

         Introduction :

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost is a short, figurative and symbolic poem that compares the scientific assumptions of his time and his own imaginations. 

The poet talks about the discourse going on about which of the two things 

i.e. fire and ice will destroy the world.

Despite its light and conversational tone, “Fire and Ice” is a bleak poem that highlights human beings' talent for self-destruction. The poem is a work of eschatology writing about the end of the world and poses two possible causes for this end: fire and ice.

   The Central Idea Of the Poem:

The poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost is about the hypothetical end of 

the world, with the speaker asserting that it will be destroyed either by fire or by ice. One could argue, though, that the central idea of this poem is that fire and ice are equally destructive, in their own ways.

The central idea around which the entire poem revolves is that only love, equality, mutual understanding and sympathy for one and all can help in establishing peace on the Earth. The poet mentions that both fire and ice are probable ends of this world. While he talks about how fire represents desire and can, therefore, be a cause of the end of the world, he also mentions ice in between to symbolize that the coldness and indifference towards one another will also be enough to end the world.

Fire and Ice : 

Poem Meaning For the poet, fire means the burning desire for the material things and ice means coldness that emerges in humans because of the desires and materialistic life. He finally concludes that both of these weapons are

equally dangerous and will lead the world towards destruction.

This short poem comprises of nine lines and has rhyme scheme aba abc 

bcb. There are three sentences. In the first sentence, the poet explains the popular debate that is prevailing in the society since long about what will destroy the world.In the second sentence, he metaphorically changes the discourse. Now fire and ice mean something deeper and profound. in the final line, which is the longest, he gives his own thoughts.

 Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice” is a strong symbolic poem where fire is used as the emotion of desire and ice, that of hatred. He has used the idea of two groups who have their own possible explanation for the end of the world. One is of the opinion that fire alone, can destroy each and every possibility of life on Earth while the other thinks that if ice as a result of extreme low temperature 

could cover the earth’s surface, it would lead to the end of the world. Both the components are compared with self-destructing human emotion: desire and hatred. The poet is 

originally of the opinion that he has been very closely associated with the “fiery desires” and considers it capable of bringing human being on the verge of destruction. Thus, 

he considers fire as more competent for destruction. But then he think that “icy hatred” is just as capable of ruining humans, though slowly and steadily. Therefore, if Earth was 

to end twice, ice would be just as good as fire. If Fire would 

lead to rapid destruction, ice would lead to silent damage. Similarly if fire is pure passion, ice is pure reason. Thus, the poem, very artistically, underpins the philosophy that we let 

our emotions rule us and if don’t control them they will surely bring us all on the verge of chaos.

    Here are some ideas:

• Greed

• Avarice

• Cruelty

• Lust

• Conflict

• Fury

• Intolerance

According to Frost, ’fire’ stands for greed, conflict, fury, cruelty, lust and avarice whereas ‘Ice’ stands for 

insensitivity, coldness, intolerance, indifference, rigidity and hatred.

Key points

 The poem has been written symbolically.

 The poet says that there are mainly two opinions about the end of this 

world, one by fire and another by ice.

 The symbols-‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ have been used for human emotions like 

desire and hatred respectively.

 As fire can spread very fast and cause a great destruction in no time 

likewise our desires may also prove very destructive if they go out of 

control. 

Hatred causes slow destruction like ice but it is also very harmful.

The rhyme of the poem is “aba abc bcb”. The poet has used the rhyming beautifully to bring about contrasting ideas in the poem, he has used the ideas of two groups who believe that the world would come to a catastrophic end either as a result of fire of ice. Simultaneously, he portrays these two essential components as features of destructive human emotions: desire and hatred. Just like fiery desires 

and icy hatred can cause damage to an individual in as irreparable manner, fire and ice can lead the world at the verge of chaos.

Fire and ice Literary devices used

   Robert Frost has used some literary devices in this poem. 

The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is given below:

 Alliteration-

 alliteration is the repetition of a 

consonant sound at the start of two or more closely 

placed words.

Examples- The sound of “F” in “Favour Fire”, “W” in 

“World Will”

Imagery-

 Imagery is used to make readers perceive 

things involving their five senses. Example- “some say 

the world will end in fires”

“To say that for destruction ice is also great”.. 

Personification-

 Personification is to give human 

qualities to inanimate objects. In this poem, “Fire” 

and “Ice” are capable of destruction. Thus, the poet 

personifies fire and ice by giving them mind and 

power to destroy anything.

Analysis of Literary Devices in “Fire and Ice”

 Assonance: 

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same 

line such as the long sound of /o/ in “I hold with those who favor fire”.

Alliteration: 

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the 

same line such as the sound of /f/ in “I hold with those who favor fire”.

Symbolism:

 Symbolism is a use of symbols to signify ideas and 

qualities, by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal 

meanings. “Fire” is the symbol of desires and “Ice” symbolizes hatred. 

Similarly, “green” and “gold” are the symbol of beauty and happiness.

Anaphora: 

It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first 

part of some verses. For example,

“Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.”

Enjambment: 

It is defined as a thought or clause that does not come to 

an end at a line break; rather, it moves over the next line. For example,

“From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.”