Poem: Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
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.
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Summary and Central Idea of the Poem
FIRE AND ICE is a short poem, written by the American poet, Robert Frost. In the poem, the poet talks about two possible ways which can end this world. The poet tells that some people have the view that this world will be destroyed by Fire, while others have the view that it will end by Ice. In the poem, the poet has used 'Fire' and 'Ice' as metaphors for 'human desires' and 'hatred' respectively. The poet says that he is aware of the ever-growing desires of humans. He says that he understands the perils of people's desires and from his experience, he supports the views of those people who believe that Fire i.e. desires of humans will end this world.
The poet tells us that desires are such human emotions that the more you fulfill them, the more they grow. Human desires are endless. They spread rapidly like a fire and engulf a person's entire life. Desires give rise to other negative emotions, such as greed, lust, anger, etc.
The poet tells us that if the world had to be destroyed twice, it might get destroyed by Ice i.e. hatred. He says that he himself has experienced hatred. He tells us that hatred that people have is as disastrous as people's desires. It makes people insensitive and uncaring towards others' feelings. Hatred gives rise to other negative emotions, such as apathy, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, intolerance, cruelty, etc.
The poem conveys a message that nowadays humans have no control over their emotions. We should keep our desires and hatred in check. Desires can be controlled by being satisfied with what we have. We can get rid of hatred by developing positive attributes, such as love and tolerance for others.
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