As one of the most iconic American poets, Robert Frost’s work has stood the test of time. Though born in California, Frost moved to New England at age eleven and came to identify himself as a New Englander. That self-identification would become a staple of his later works as he would invest “in the New England terrain” and make use of the “simplicity of his images” (Norton Anthology, p. 727) accompanied by uncomplicated writing to give his poems a more natural feel. Frost’s poems were generalized by certain types: nature lyrics which described a scene or event, dramatic narratives or generalizations, and humorous or sardonic works. His widely anthologized poem “Fire and Ice” falls between the categories of nature lyrics while also being somewhat …show more content…
The question he poses of whether the world will perish by fire or ice appears relatively straightforward yet upon further inspection there are multiple facets to the short poem. By beginning with the lines “Some say the world will end in fire/Some say in ice” Frost tackles the general differing ideas of the world’s fate. Yet it becomes personal as the narrator states “From what I’ve taste of desire” soon followed by the lines “But if I had to perish twice/I think I know enough of hate” by which it is believed that he is speaking from experience, from past struggles with desire and hate. Following his use of the first-person, it leads one to believe that Frost has gone from a general contemplation of the world’s fate to a more personal pondering of how either passion/desire or hate can cause the ruination of the human soul. As stated by Deirdre Fagan, “The reference of the self indicates much about the source of the poem…. Frost is not just imagining an end to the world in general but rather seeing a broader scope of endings….” (Critical Companion to Robert Frost: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work By Deirdre J. Fagan p. 115) The poem furthermore continues to lose its simplicity when also paired with its source of inspiration, Dante’s Inferno, because it lines up with Aristotle’s idea that though both sins of passion and sins of reason are deadly and …show more content…
While the poem itself seems to say little more than the two possibilities of how the world will end the assessments it has brought forth are greatly enlightening in helping to fully appreciate Frost’s work. Though Shapley’s account of how this peace came to be is not discredited it is found to be dismissed because as Tom Hansen states: “Although there is no reason to doubt his account of that encounter, the poem Frost wrote as a result does not say what Shapley things it says.” Hansen also adds that “the poem unequivocally declares that it is not an astronomical speculation about a catastrophe millions of years in the future” nor an “idle cosmic speculation” but instead it is “an astute diagnosis of the chronic malfunction of the heart.” (The Explicator Volume 59, Issue 1, 2000). Many also stand by the idea that “Fire and Ice” was inspired by Dante’s Inferno and the connections they have found come to show how the incredible depth Frost achieved in those nine lines of poetry. Both his style and theme have been shown to be a reflection of the idea of passion/desire and hate being sins that cause destruction for people’s lives and their state of well-being. Frost is also applauded for the casualness exhibited in this work, for as John N. Serio says: “…the force of the lyric "I"… contains an autobiographical edge.
In the poem, Frost is the narrator and he is speaking to the readers. The issue that Frost discusses is if the world will end in a blazing fire or in freezing ice. Based on the poem, Frost believes he would perish by fire because in verses 3 and 4 he wrote: From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. But in verses 5, 6, 7, and 8 Frost wrote: But if it had to perish twice, I think I know
In reading Frost’s poem in its entirety, I have concluded that “The Road Not Taken” is a symbolic representation of the choices we make in life. This particular narration symbolically led the speaker down a fulfilling road; however, getting to that conclusion is not so simple of a process. The uncertainty of how the outcome of one decision over the other will unfold brings the speaker through a contemplating process of eradication.
I was thinking that Frost wanted to basically put a question on our minds, If you had to choose a way to die would you choose fire or ice? In lines seven through nine, "To say that destruction ice is also great and would suffice". To me this is saying you would have to choose the lesser of the two evils. Weighting the pros and cons of the two. Asking which one is better for you, a cold slow death or a hot slow death. But in the end of the poem Frost is saying the no matter which one he picks they are both going to give you the same results, death.
Robert Frost takes our imagination to a journey through wintertime with 
his two poems "Desert Places" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". These two poems reflect the beautiful scenery that is present in the snow covered woods and awakens us to new feelings. Even though these poems both have winter settings they contain very different tones. One has a feeling of depressing loneliness and the other a feeling of welcome solitude. They show how the same setting can have totally different impacts on a person depending on 
their mindset at the time. These poems are both made up of simple stanzas and diction but they are not straightforward poems.
January 1st, 2000. December 21st, 2012. September 23rd, 2017. Conspiracy theorists have continually tried warning the public of what they think will bring the world to its end and yet the human race lives on, despite the arguments saying the opposite. It takes the termination of an situation to finally be able to grow from the circumstances. In the poem, ‘Fire and Ice’ written by Robert Frost, the narrator discusses their own idea of how the world will end, with reference to the 1920 debate on the same topic, coming to the conclusion that it is all up to the eyes of the beholder and that death is merely inevitable. With the tone of the poem being ironic but primarily accepting, it is the total the opposite and if not juxtaposes one of Frost’s other poems, ‘Home burial’ which accents a more depressing and a grieving nature. This poem does not discuss the end of everyone’s world, but the end of a couple’s world in which they’re in a strained relationship after the loss of their child. Both poems share the same topic ‘the end of life’, much like the film ‘Me, Earl and the Dying Girl’ in which the protagonist, Greg Gaines, reconnects with a family friend who has just been diagnosed with leukaemia. The film discusses the inevitability of her end in a misleading way, promising the audience that she does to die, however, they realise that the promise was a lie as she dies in a hospital bed whilst watching a film Greg made her as a dying wish. All three texts and all three of their protagonists grasp the concept of the end through the loss of life.
The published version of this poem is not the same as the one Frost originally wrote. The original poem was much longer and Frost left out entire stanzas from the original poem. Frost wrote this because he afraid of what the world was turning into because of political reasons. Frost didn't publish the original poem in fear that because he was such a popular poet that many people would think there was something wrong with the world.
The poem is a first person narrative, where the author is the speaker. Frost uses words such as “fire” and “ice” to as a metaphor to describe the different manners in which the world will end; through the “fire” of passion or the “ice” of hatred. Frost uses a unique rhyme scheme to help lighten the subject and disguise the conversation as playful. The imagery in the poem helps Frost tell the reader about how he would “hold with those who favor fire. / But if it had to perish twice/… that for the destruction of ice/… would suffice.”
Robert Frost juxtaposes two potential causes of earth’s end. Fire or ice are the two options, with both being destructive. Frost compares fire with desire, and ice with hate. Desire and hate are two contrasting emotions within humans.
Although this poem also is connected with nature, the theme is more universal in that it could be related to Armageddon, or the end of the world. Even though this theme may seem simple, it is really complex because we do not know how Frost could possibly
In Robert Frost's poem, "Fire and Ice," Robert compares the world to fire and ice. He mentions ice is a destruction, and he is in favor of fire. According Frost's poem, Robert states, "I think I know enough of hate -To say that for destruction ice" (6-7). This quote is a metaphor, because the world is being compared to ice. The quote describes that the world is full of hate and chilliness like
century. Most Americans recognize his name, the titles of and lines from his best-known poems, and even his face. Given his immense popularity, it is a remarkable testimony to the extent of his achievement that he is also considered to be one of the greatest, if not the very greatest, of modern American poets. "…the life and work of America's premier poet- the only truly national poet America has yet produced"(Parini23). His influence is still being felt in American life today. His success in America as well as in England has guaranteed the preservation of his legacy for generations to come. "…Frost gradually evolved from poet to cultural icon,
“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words,” Robert Frost once said. As is made fairly obvious by this quote, Frost was an adroit thinker. It seems like he spent much of his life thinking about the little things. He often pondered the meaning and symbolism of things he found in nature. Many readers find Robert Frost’s poems to be straightforward, yet his work contains deeper layers of complexity beneath the surface. These deeper layers of complexity can be clearly seen in his poems “ The Road Not Taken”, “Fire and Ice”, and “Birches”.
Robert Frost’s nature poetry occupies a significant place in the poetic arts; however, it is likely Frost’s use of nature is the most misunderstood aspect of his poetry. While nature is always present in Frost’s writing, it is primarily used in a “pastoral sense” (Lynen 1). This makes sense as Frost did consider himself to be a shepherd.
Robert Frost is perhaps one of America's best poets of his generation. His vivid images of nature capture the minds of readers. His poems appear to be simple, but if you look into them there is a lot of insight. Robert Frost spoke at John F. Kennedy's inauguration. He is the only poet to have had the opportunity to speak at a presidential inauguration. Through his poetry people learn that Robert Frost is a complicated and intellectual man who has a place in many American hearts. (Richards P.10)
The great debate of whether the world will end in a fiery ball of destruction or a frozen wasteland has baffled the minds of many people. A man named Robert Frost has written a poem called "Fire and Ice" that describes his thoughts on how he would prefer to leave this world. Upon reading this poem, the reader can derive two distinct meanings of fire and ice; one being of actual fire and ice destroying the world, and the other having symbols for the fire and ice, such as fire being desire or passion and ice being hatred and deceit. Although this poem is one of his shortest poems with only nine lines, it is also one of the most famous works that he has ever created.