My Analysis of "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost

"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.

                In only nine lines, Frost manages to eloquently provide a powerful statement about the dangers of humanity’s darkest emotions. His reoccurring use of the words fire and ice create a duality in the impending destruction that he describes. Symbolism is fundamental to the meaning of the poem. Ice symbolizes “cold” and sinister emotions such as hatred while fire symbolizes “warmer” emotions such as passion and desire. According to Frost, though these emotions are on opposite sides of the spectrum, they are both capable of causing our destruction. His statements are not only warnings to society as a whole, but also too individuals in their day to day lives. His choice of diction by using the words “I've” and “I” gives the poem a personal ring to it, suggesting that he has had his own experiences with hatred and desire. However, his use of the word “tasted” indicates that he has had limited interaction with fire and ice.

 The tone is also key to the meaning of the poem. Throughout the poem, Frost downplays the subject matter by maintaining a sardonic tone towards the method of our destruction. In the first two lines, Frost’s use of the words “some” suggests that only a portion of the population is involved in the debate between fire and ice and that these thoughts are not universal. Frost does this to decrease the scale and significance of the subject.  In the last line of the poem, Frost casually states that ice “would suffice”. His use of the word suffice completely downplays the situation by implying that we may not be destroyed by our most powerful emotion, but instead by whichever emotion is simply adequate enough. His use of understatement contrasts the amplitude and importance of the subject matter.  It is expected that the means of our destruction would be discussed with a more serious attitude which is why I believe Frost’s tone is so important. His tone possibly indicates that there is no hope for humanity; so rather than getting frenzied over the unstoppable destruction, Frost simply states the destruction in a matter a fact way.  

In the first two lines, Frost makes a clear distinction between fire and ice and outlines his claim that the world will end in one these elements.  I find it interesting that Frost offers no alternatives to fire or ice. I believe this is because fire, which symbolizes desire, and ice, which symbolizes hatred are the two emotion in which all human actions can be traced back too. So everything we do can be traced back to either fire or ice. So no alternatives are necessary.

I can’t help but relate this poem to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In the novel, Victor’s world was destroyed by fire. His desire to achieve what no one had achieved before him lead to his downfall. Though his passion and desires were fueled with good intentions, they still blinded him from the potential consequences of creating life. On the other hand, the creature’s world was destroyed by ice. His hatred of Victor made him hell-bent on getting revenge on Victor.  Every aspect of the creature’s life was driven by his hatred for Victor.