VSS PRASAD <vempatiprasad68@gmail.

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FIRE AND ICE

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VSS PRASAD <vempatiprasad68@gmail.com> Sat, 2 Apr 2022 at 6:02 PM

To: VSS PRASAD <vempatiprasad68@gmail.com>

FIRE AND ICE

The poem expresses the profound idea that world would end in either of two ways by
fire and ice. People are divided on this issue. Some believe that fire will become the
cause of the end and others think that ice will end the world. Both components are
compared with self destructing human emotions, hatred and desire.
In this short poem frost is speculating about the end of the world. He likens ‘ fire with
desire and greed and lust whereas ice signifies hatred. Both refer to dark traits of
human nature which are capable of destroying the world.
There are two views regarding this. Some people hold the world will end when the
sun will explode while others believe that the world will come to an end as the earth
will slowly freeze. The poet has touched the universal issue of the ending of this
existing world. He gives a definite message as well as warning to human beings. Man
is swaying between two extremes. Fire and ice. The poet believes that both fire and
ice have strong potentials to bring disasters and destructions of the worlds. All such
extremes can lead to unavoidable conflicts and disasters.The metaphors of fire and ice
are used very effectively to convey a definite message to the readers. Fire stands for
our unbridled, uncontrollable and untouched passions, desires lust and fury.
Similarlycold reasoning devoid of all human warmth, love compassion will bring
insensitive, cruelty and rigidity. Hatred born out cold and icy reason can lead to the
destruction of the world. Frost then posits ‘Fire and Ice as the probable reasons for the
demise of the world. Fire stands for greed avarice lust fury and intolerance-
uncontrolled desires can lead to destruction just as fire burns down everything if is
uncontrolled, similarly ice freezes and later warmth and life out of things. What frost
points at is that our own emotions will lead to our downfall. He also thinks that the
world will end in hatred and coldness (symbolized) by ice as mankind will cease to
become compassionate towards each other and the environment.

VSS PRASAD <vempatiprasad68@gmail.com> Sun, 3 Apr 2022 at 8:08 AM

To: VSS PRASAD <vempatiprasad68@gmail.com>

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