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Class 10 First Flight Poem Fire and Ice Summary
About the Poet Robert Frost
Robert Frost was an American poet known for his practical illustrations of rura l life and his command of American colloquial speech. He is renowned for writing about different settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century and using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. He is the only poet in the world to have been awarded four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry.
Introduction to Robert Frost’s Poem Fire and Ice
Robert Frost’s poem Fire and Ice expresses the idea that the world would end in either of two ways, either by ice or by fire. In the poem Fire and ice, the poet has compared fire and ice with self-destructing emotions of people. The poem, very smoothly, shows the message that we let our emotions rule us and if we fail to control our emotions they will surely destroy everything around us. Robert Frost thinks fire and ice are just as competent in bringing the world to a terrible end.
Class 10 English – Fire and Ice Summary
Stanza 1
The poet tries to explain that the world will end in two ways either by ice or by fire. One set of people believes that someday the Earth’s crust will be heated up and it would lead to a fire destroying the earth’s surface. On the other hand, the second group says that if the temperature goes down to an extent that makes life on the Earth impossible, it would have some catastrophic effect. The poet then compares destructive features of human emotions such as desire and hatred to fire and ice. Poet further adds that he is aware of ‘fiery desires’ and he would favor the ones who say that it would be fire. By saying this, the poet brings the idea that human beings let their emotions rule them and the ultimate result is not good.
Stanza 2
Then by keeping the first element of fire in mind, the poet considers what if the world has to destroy twice, then the ice would be equally competent in ending it. He brings out a comparison between ice and hatred. People’s insensitivity and hatred for each other have the potential of inner destruction. Though slow and steady, ice has also the same effect that desire has on us. So if given an option to destroy the world to fire and ice, ice would be just as good and perfect as fire to destroy the world completely.
The message of the Poem Fire and Ice
The poem fire and ice by Robert Frost is a comparison of human feelings to desire and hatred. In the poem Fire and Ice, fire represents the burning desires of human beings while the ice on the other hand depicts ice-cold hatred among each other. The poem helps in telling us about how we humans will be the end of our own race of life by greed and lust.
The poem helps in describing how the feeling of desire, feelings of lust, and passion towards each other lead us to harm ourselves, how hatred and icy unsympathetic judgment make us cold towards everyone around us. The poet creates an imaginative situation around the world ending twice. Poet means that if the first element is not able to destroy the world completely then the second element can do that.
The poet leans towards the idea of the world ending in a fire that is due to greed and mainly thirst for power. Contradicting he says that the world can indeed meet its end at the hands of ice as well because of the amount of hatred present in the world.
Conclusion
The poet wants to wake up from this hatred and false dreams and wants us to be more compassionate towards each other in every term. Cold emotions such as greed, hatred make us ruthless animals. We behave inhumanly and treat others in a bad way which is not acceptable. Poet wants us to understand that we humans have such a beautiful life and we waste it in hatred and greed and we should overcome this by helping others in good form.
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Class 10 First Flight Poem Fire and Ice FAQs
According to the poet Robert Frost, the human race will be destroyed by ice or fire. Here, ice represents cold emotions such as hatred, greed, and desire for power. And by the fire poet means weapons to destroy.
According to the poet Robert Frost, there is a hidden message in the poem fire and ice. Poet wants us to be more compassionate and trustworthy to each other. We should always be ready to lend a helping hand to others. What are the different ways in which the human race will be destroyed?
What does the poet want us to do as per the class 10 English poem fire and ice?
