FIRE AND ICE ROBERT FROST POETRY 8

Introduction to the poet

- Robert Frost was born in San Francisco.
- He went to uniersit! at Dart"out# Co$$e%e in &8'() an* $ater Harar*) but
neer %aine* a +or"a$ *e%ree.
- He beca"e intereste* in rea*in% ,oetr! *urin% #is #i%# sc#oo$.
- Frost was a ,oet o+ *ee, t#ou%#ts. Be#in* #is *escri,tions o+ nature an*
eer!*a! actiities) !ou can -n* a *ee,er "eanin%. .#en #e *escribe*
eents) Frost usua$$! #a* a "ora$ ,oint or stran%e obseration to "a/e.
- He was in0uence* b! so"e Britis# ,oets.
- Frost wrote in a c$ear an* eas! to un*erstan* "anner) un$i/e "an! o+ t#e
"ore e1,eri"enta$ twentiet# centur! ,oets.
- Frost was a ,oet o+ searc#in% an* o+ten *ar/ "e*itations on uniersa$
t#e"es.
- He uses si",$e ocabu$ar! in #is erse. It is er! eas! to rea* but it is not
eas! to un*erstan*. You "ust be ab$e to catc# t#e #i**en "assa%e in #is
,oe"s. He "a! a,,ear si",$e but #is ,oetr! is ,ro+oun*.
- His -rst ,ro+essiona$ ,oe" was T#e Butter0!. It was ,ub$is#e* in T#e
In*e,en*ent.
- In &8'2) #e %ot "arrie* to 3rs. .#ite w#o was a %reat ins,iration +or #i" to
write ,oetr!.
The Title
T#e tit$e re+ers to two *estructie +actors in t#is unierse. Fire and ice are two
*estructie e$e"ents t#at can $ea* to t#e *estruction o+ t#is unierse4 t#e wor$*
wi$$ burn co",$ete$! or it wi$$ +ree5e to *eat#.
T#e tit$e is +urious an* #u"orous at t#e sa"e ti"e. It is +urious as it te$$s us
about two *estructie e$e"ents t#at can $ea* to t#e *estruction o+ t#is wor$*. It
is #u"orous because ice can $ea* to t#e *estructions o+ -re. But) i+ t#e -re is
%reat an* +ata$) ice can *o not#in% an* wi$$ be use$ess in +ront o+ -re.
Ellipsis
In $ine&) 6t#at7 is o"itte*4 in or*er to /ee, t#e ia"bic beat) because it is
un*erstoo*) an* in or*er to "a/e t#e st!$e c$ose to our s,o/en En%$is#.
Paraphrase
T#e s,ea/er ta/es into consi*eration an o$* "atter. It is centere* aroun* t#e
ineitab$e en* o+ t#e wor$* in w#ic# we $ie. So"e ,eo,$e be$iee t#at -re wi$$ $ea*
to t#e *estruction o+ t#is unierse w#i$e so"e ot#er ,eo,$e be$iee t#at ice can ,ut
an en* to t#is wor$*. T#e s,ea/er a%rees to t#e -rst notion) but #e be$iees t#at ice
is a$so %reat) enou%# an* su8cient +or t#e *estruction o+ t#is unierse.

Critical analysis
Form
FIRE AND ICE ROBERT FROST POETRY 8
- It is an inente* +or"4 an irre%u$ar +or" in w#ic# t#e ,oe" is %ien in nine
$ines o+ erse as one erse-,ara%ra,#.
- T#e nine %ien $ines *i9er in $en%t#.
Rhyme Scheme
It %oes as abaabcbcb. T#ere are on$! t#ree en*in%s4 a:s) a:;) e:t .
Beat
- <ines two) Ei%#t) an* Nine are %ien in four syllables on$!4 Ia"bic Dia"eter
- <ines one) t#ree) +our) -e) se1) an* seen are %ien in eight syllables 4
Ia"bic tetra"eter
- 6t#at7 is o"itte* in $ine one in or*er to /ee, t#e Ia"bic beat.
Style
&. It is eas! to rea* an* to un*erstan*.
(. T#e use o+ en=a"b"ent es,ecia$$! t#e $ast t#ree $ines.
>. It is re,etitie ?so"e sa!@) ?-re@) ?ice@.
A. It is written in "ono-s!$$abic wor*s4 ?so"e sa! t#e wor$* wi$$ en* in -re@.
2. <ines *i9er in $en%t# 6+our s!$$ab$es) ei%#t s!$$ab$es7
B. It is a ,rose-$i/e st!$e. Sentences are written in t#e sa"e wor* or*er
6e1a",$e7.
C. T#e st!$e $ac/s -%ures o+ s,eec#.
Theme
T#e t#e"e o+ t#e ,oe" is a"bi%uous) unsett$e* an* unanswere*. It is about
t#e ineitab$e en* o+ t#is unierse. T#e ,oet is not sure w#et#er t#e wor$* wi$$ en*
in -re o+ in ice.
One main idea
T#e wor$* wi$$ burn co",$ete$! or it wi$$ +ree5e to *eat#.
Music
&. Rhyme scheme4
a4 -re) b4 ice) a4 *esire) a4 -re) b4 twice) c4 #ate) b4 ice ) c4 %reat) b4 su8ce
(. T#e beat or r#!t#"4 Ia"bic Dia"eter an* Ia"bic tetra"eter 6%ie e1a",$es7
>. Sibilance4 &( ti"es 6so"e) sa!) so"e) sa!) ice)......7
A. Simple lliteration4 6+aour) -re7
2. Crossed lliteration4 6#a*) #ate7
B. !ord and phrase repetition 6so"e sa!7 ) 6ice) -re7
Contrast "St!$e Ds. T#e"e7
T#e si",$icit! o+ ocabu$ar! s. t#e seriousness o+ t#e sub=ect "atter