Robert Frost Fire and Ice Poem Analysis

Michael Morrow

October 8, 2013

AP Literature

Poetry Analysis

            In the poem Fire and Ice, poet Robert Frost, brings up the fate of the world. Frost touches on either the world will end in fire or it will end in ice. Frost establishes tone, mood, symbolism, metaphor and other literary devices. The theme was formed as: hate can be just as destructive as desire.

            Straightaway, in lines 1 and 2, Frost introduces the discussed fates of the world, fire and ice. Also, metaphor is used in line 1 as the end of the world, in a fiery death and in line 2 as in he world would go into a Ice Age. He goes on in line 3 to say, “From what I’ve tasted of desire”, Frost relates fire to desire, which desire is a common emotion for fire. Therefore, Frost initiates symbolism by fire symbolizing as desire. Then, in line 4, he states, “I hold with those who favor fire.” He does not literally mean “the world will end in fire” but desire, which takes the place as fire, would destroy the world.

            Furthermore, in line 5, Frost began to advocate that ice s just as destructive. In line 6, he says, “I think I know enough hate”, Frost relates ice to hate, which hate is a common emotion for ice, for example a “cold-hearted person”. Therefore, Frost, once again, initiates symbolism by ice symbolizing as hate. In addition, he does not truly mean the world will end in ice but hate. In line 8, by saying,”(Ice) Is also great” he means hate can be just as powerful and destructive as desire. At this point, it is clear that fire is the antithesis of ice. In the last line, 9, Frost uses the word “suffice”, which means”to be sufficient” or “to be capable”. He is saying that ice would be capable or would meet the requirements to end the just as fire is. Last, Frost gives off a despairing tone, which establishes a hopeless mood for the reader.

            To sum it all up, Frost proposes that desire can be just as destructive as hate. He was able to establish many literary devices such as: metaphor, antithesis, symbolism, ect. The poem gave off a tone of despair that gave the readers a hopeless mood.