A Critical Analysis
Robert Frost has been remarked to “stand at the crossroads of 19th-century American poetry and modernism, for in his verse may be found the culmination of many 19th-century tendencies and traditions as well as parallels to the works of his 20th-century contemporaries” (“Robert Frost”). He holds a unique place in American poetry, and within that space he created some remarkable poems, at times following strict meter and rhyme, but always creating poems rich in imagery and meaning. His poem, “Fire and Ice,” is no different. Within this brief poem are layers of meaning revealed in strong imagery and the connotation of the words he uses.
Frost begins the poem, “Some say the world will end in fire,/Some say in ice.” In the first two lines of the poem, he establishes the two images that last throughout the remainder of the poem. At this point in the poem there is still much ambiguity as to where Frost is headed. However, the next two lines begin to reveal that meaning: “From what I’ve tasted of desire/I hold with those who favor fire.” Here Frost introduces the character of emotion and how it relates to the image of fire. Even though fire and ice are physical phenomena in the world, Frost is using them metaphorically through the connotation of fire as an emotion. Passion and desire are often described as “fire” or “burning” feelings within, and this allusion to fire as an emotion reflects this. Frost goes further to connect this desire and fire to the end of world which suggests not only the pervasiveness of desire but also its destructive tendencies. Between the two choices of how the world will end, Frost favors fire because of the potency of desire, which he has felt, and the pervasiveness of these emotions. The imagery is striking and the subtle truth to the statement is quite haunting.
The remaining lines refer back to the “ice” image laid out in the beginning. “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.” Here Frost contrasts the image of fire with that of ice using another emotion, hate. Hate is often referred to as a “coldness” or very bitter emotion, and Frost uses this connotation to highlight the potency of this emotion as well. He seems to be saying that if it were possible for the world to perish twice, another common and prevalent emotion, hate, would do just as good of a job as desire in the destruction of the world. Even though Frost mentions that he favors destruction by fire, there seems to be no distinct differentiation between the quality or potency of the emotions. In effect, Frost is making a profound comment on the potential effects of our emotions. It almost becomes hyperbole or sarcasm because Frost comments on the intense destructive power of these emotions. The brevity, rhyme, and rhythm almost give the poem a sing-song quality to it which only heightens the impact of the grave warning of what our emotions are capable of. The end line adds more irony to the poem, “And would suffice.” This brief line not only understates the seriousness of hate’s power, but it also seems to utter the inevitability that the world will end, either by fire or by ice.
When taken all together, Frost has achieved a great deal. With such brevity he has cut through to the core of humanity—that destruction of the world is inevitable only because of our destructive human emotions that are so difficult to tame. Frost began with two concrete images of natural phenomena, but through his use of symbolism, he has reflected a truth about us as human beings. Frost has created a poem extremely rich in meaning through his use of imagery and the connotation of the vocabulary he uses. His masterful use of rhyme and rhythm only add to the meaning of the poem in a very clever and sophisticated manner. “Fire and Ice,” by Robert Frost is a masterpiece that captures the darkness of human nature in a few short lines.
Works Cited
Frost, Robert. “Fire and Ice.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 2014. Web. 24 Dec. 2014.
“Robert Frost.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 2014. Web. 24 Dec. 2014.
