Yvette R Sangiorgio · 11 May 2001

I would like to submit another interpretation of Robert Frost’s poem, “Fire and Ice.” Just as fire and ice are opposites, so is desire, or lust, born of fire, and hate, born out of ice, a coldness and lack of feeling or caring. Frost presents us with contradictory images. Both emotions are extremes of love, not merely spiritual love, but the love of humans, of humanity. Both of these extremes destroy the soul of humanity and the individual, and the metaphors of fire and ice fit. The beauty of the poem is revealed when Frost unifies two opposites into a coherent form to make us understand their connection.

SO1227 · 28 March 2002

Years ago while in high school, my literature book had a page with this poem on it.
I have always loved it, but could not remember the author. I graduated in 1963 and have never forgotten this poem. It just said so much. I’ve quoted it to people over the years and most people just kind of make a face as if it’s a morbid thought. But to me it’s pure human nature, it says it all.
Just recently I was watching TV and the very first part of the poem was quoted for a new series, which at this moment I can’t even remember what the series name is.
But the minute the actor said “Some say the world,” I quoted the rest with him and nearly fell of my chair because I’ve never found one person who knew this poem.
Anyway thank heaven I found out the author and I’ll always love it.

Abid Nimer · 17 February 2003

This poem describes the similarities between fire and desire, and between ice and hate. Fire is always changing, wanting more [to burn], as does desire, yet ice is cold and hard, always staying the same, as is hate.

XxSweeTyJ1xX · 29 May 2003

I love this poem. After my class finished “The Outsiders”, my English teacher recited part of this poem to us, since it was also by Robert Frost. I found it so wonderful, that as soon as I got home, I went and looked it up, and memorized it. It’s really great how Robert Frost could talk about things such as loyalty, hate, and desire, yet use words like “fire and ice.” It takes a real genious to do this.

MAtt THe MAn · 15 October 2003

i need help with explicating this poem. i have a two page paper due at 6

Mafkari69 · 16 November 2003

Hello;
Would you please e-mail your description about “Fire and Ice” for me?

ConfusedGuy666 · 16 March 2004

Ummm… I dont know if I’m doing the right place for comments on this poem or not, but I think that fire and ice is symbolic, saying taht fire is desire and ice is like a hatred. Two complete opposites taht could come together for one cause of evil.

TOM TORTCH · 23 April 2004

The temporal element to “Fire and Ice” appeals to me. Fire is rapid and consuming. It leaves only ashes. Freezing, on the other hand, is slow and stagnant. It leaves all; but can’t progress. In the end it doesn’t matter because dead is dead. The choice is yours.”Is it better to burn-out or to fade away?”

Scott Johnston · 27 July 2004

Does anyone see the irony of this poem besides me? I see that the authors last name is FROST certainly this could have been a play against his own name could it not?

Kris Snow · 2 November 2004

A great poem by Robert Frost. I have always liked this one. Reading it “feels” good, the way it flows. And it was nice reading so many comments on it. I particularly liked the one by Tom Tortch…..about the temporal element in this poem. Burn out or fade away? I know which I personally would pick! The poem is about extremes….in emotions, in elements…but either way, leaving no doubt in your mind where you end up.

Kris

Barb Kryger · 1 January 2005

A stunning poem. The images, the simplicity and the meaning of the poem makes it, in my opinion, Frost’s best. Perhaps he is arguing that desire and hate can both be just as damaging. Think Hitler- his evil was propelled by the two forces. Desire for power and hate of other, like Jews.

S.

RkA796 · 15 January 2005

This poem is qite good. it has short lines but it is somehow effective iam only 15 i cant say iam into peotry but i find it quite good its intresting and i was wondering if anyone has a poem about hate its a school homework if yes pls mail me at
()
thanx!

leftwithoutlight · 25 January 2005

I believe that Frost’s Fire and Ice is truely a unique and fantastic display of poetic excellence. The fire aspect of his poem is love, relating to religious beliefs. The apocolypse, the rapture, the coming to an end by consumption of such a pure love that all the evil, which is the world, can not exist. In line 3 to 4, Frost says that with his experiences of love, he would much rather it end in love. But then Frost takes a reverse and states that if the world had to die twice, he’d wish the second time to be from ice, hate, the scientific beliefs of a super nova sun that would freeze the earth over. The word “suffice” in his final line is a weak word, and I believe he does this on purpose, for how can hate just suffice (be just enough to do the job)? There are many words he could have used in its place, but I believe he created a weakness on purpose. It adds to the reality of it all. Frost, whether you agree with my interpretation of Fire and Ice or not, is an astouding poet with a beautiful talent for turning ordinary words into a passionate army of feelings and ideas.

-Matt Maxwell

Ryan · 26 January 2005

im so sorry about before, oh wait, no im not. I love you. Let me show you something…

….
…..
…….
……..
………
………….
………
…….
…..
…
..

Ryan Jones · 31 January 2005

I’ve enjoyed everyone’s comments. I agree with many of you that Frost is showing that fire (aggression/hate/anger) and ice (apathy, inaction) are equally effective at destroying mankind.
What I like to do with poems, is initially read them very quickly with no analyzing. And just try to get a feeling for the tone. Then I like to go back and find the imagery/symbolism/etc,. This helps me, I hope it helps you.

creighton · 14 February 2005

Nice poem its cool,but the ice is desire not the fire and the hate is ice. Abid Nimmer got it all wrong.

ZKarDav · 30 May 2005

Evaluating the poem titled “Fire and Ice”, which was written by Robert Frost, seems to show two ways in which the world can end the first being fire and second being ice. I believe he is using fire as an example of war and how war destroys everything leaving only memories and ashes behind just like fire does. I believe ice is used in this poem as an example of peace, because peace would cause the human race to over populate the world and use up its resources and leave you with nothing no plants, no trees, and no air leaving you with no life do to the suffocation of people and the suffocation of having no resources like air.

thomas.tatro · 3 July 2005

I’m not entirely sure Mr. Frost has written about the world (Earth) ending. I believe with this poem he has brought us a much more personal apocalypse. For those of you out there who have been in love, you have certainly felt the desire, the burning aggression to be loved in return. You sacrifice the rest of the world as you know it for the object of your affection. In some cases, every other relationship you have, i.e. friends and family, suffers because of your love.

If you have experienced the kind of all consuming passion I’m writing about, then you’ve also probably felt the bitter disappointment and regret of love unrequited. When you bear your soul to another person with those three little words “I Love You”, and nothing is returned, or perhaps a worse scenario, your world ends. For a split second, nothing exists at all. No warmth, no compassion, only hatred and confusion. Nothing is colder than being told you’re not worth loving.

I for one agree with Mr. Frost. It’s important to understand that once that pillar of lust and devotion has consumed you, there’s nothing left to start over with. Your world has effectively ended. However, if it had to be done twice, ice is just as nice, because there’s still something left to begin again. Sure you may just be an icy husk, wandering through a half-life for a little while, but some other Sun will orbit near you and warm you up again.

Thank you Robert Frost for this amazing piece of work.

SrA T. Tatro

USAF

Tara9121 · 8 July 2005

Can someone write a parody of this poem roughly using the same rhyme scheme? It would be greatly appreciated! I’m doing an assignment of writing a parody and I need an example. (Don’t worry your not doing my work, I need to write it to a different poem, I just want an example… I love this poem)

Hanvol · 8 August 2005

I admit that I love Frost’s poem about Fire and Ice. This brings to mind the idiotic story of the flood recorded in the Bible and the origin of the rainbow. Even if I take the Biblical story as fact, not the fiction it is, what does the rainbow truly signify. All it signifies is God’s promise not to destroy the world by flood again. Gee, what a swell guy. All God is saying here is “Well, I promise not to use flood again to destroy the world if and when I get pissed off at humanity, I’ll just have to use some other method, perhaps fire and ice, or asteroidal collision. Now that’s a good one, got rid of the dinosaurs did it? Maybe I shoulld have finished the job the first time.” Bertrand Russell wrote “The world in which we live can be understood as a result of muddle and accident; but if it is the outcome of deliberate purpose, the purpose must have been that of a fiend.”

swwoodcock · 30 August 2005

Yes my comment. I agree with most. The term fire and desire fit nicely togeather. But they also complement each other. I also can see were friged hate and extrem dislike complement ice. Love the poem.

The Wilds · 30 August 2005

What is the difference in tone between this poem and “Earth” by John Hall Wheelock Please Email me

O.Kerns · 20 September 2005

FIRE AND ICE

Some say tha world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what Ive tasted of desire
I hold wit those who favor fire.
But if it had ta perish twice,
I thiznink I kizzy enough of hate
To say tizzy fo` destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

– Robert Frost

Tait · 5 October 2005

I just want to say that I love this poem. I am only 16, but i feel that I have a good understanding, or just my interperatation, of what the poem is trying to say. I love how he uses two complete opposites, fire and ice, desire and hate, and show that no matter what way we look at it, the world is going to end. I think that the desire is talking about how we all wish that there is something else after this life and in order to find out for sure if there is something, we will have to die. I think that Robert, on some level, is spirtual. He wants to believe that maybe there is something else beyond this life, and dieing wouldnt be so bad. I think that he would rather end “his” world in “fire”, beliveing that there is something else to go onto, but, dieing in hate, perhaps a war, wouldnt be so bad either.

Matthew Wala · 20 November 2005

Think of the “world” Frost speaks of as our home, and you discover two ways to destroy a home. If you desire it too much, care for it and want it to survive (as in tending a campfire), your “desire” can lead out of control, ending up in your home and you being engulfed in a huge “fire”. “Hate” of something leads to neglect, and is you neglect your home (or a campfire, again), it will be frozen in “ice”, which also “suffices” as a way to destroy something.

Lexluth68 · 27 November 2005

i always thought that fire would represent war and ice, natural causes. ah

Chris Cloke · 1 December 2005

“Sometimes I think my mind is fire.
Sometimes ice.
From what I’ve tasted of creation,
I often crave self-immolation.
But if I had to crumble twice,
To chance a stagnant mental state,
On learning how to melt the ice…
The risk is great,
But would suffice. “

-(remixing Frost)

Bohne Harald · 18 January 2006

when dit it perish the first time?

Harald, Norway jan 06

tlf 77621216, mob 90547196

Tanner H. Johnson · 23 January 2006

Ok, i have read the comments on this poem out of bordem, i dont know if anyone still looks at these comments, but i read this poem for the first time like a week ago, and it obviously isnt about good and evil causing a greater evil or whatever it was someone said. He is saying that the wold is going to end in a nuclear war[fire] and if the nukes itself dont destroy the world, Nuclear winter[ice] is going to finish it off.

Applebottmz2008 · 30 January 2006

this poem was def. a great one I found out about it in my English 1 class when I had this teacher named Miss Rini and I thank her because if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have found about this great poem

Sam Milito · 31 January 2006

Come on, nuclear war? That is utterly and completely rediculous. Like somebody previously said, it is about both real and inner problems, but mainly inner.
And, to other people, Fire = Desire, Ice = Hate. Just to clarify.
But I don’t know where he got this from.
Its not like he really led a pathetic, heart wrenching, suicidal depression inducing crummy husk
of a life.

Vi Reimers · 1 June 2006

Yes, I’d like to comment. I saw this recently chalked on a patio wall of the men’s dorm at the college at Clarement, CA. I liked the rythym of it , but it has meaning. We all wonder if the world will end someday and how. And this gives us thought …and so I’m working it out in my mind. I didn’t know the author and so I’m surprised and pleased to have found the source. Maybe it is telling us to live a life of goodness w/our fellowman because what really counts is just that - the quality of life. A grandmother.

David · 2 August 2006

Some say dinner will end in cake,
Some say in cheese.
If it’s like the one my mother makes,
I’d side with those who favour cake.
But if it is not one of these
And the biscuits are savoury
To finish, my choice would be cheese
(if it’s flavoury)
Second helpings please!

Ghel Ugalam · 24 August 2006

I love this poem…I’m searching for a short poem to memorize,since Robert Frost is one of my favorite poet I looked for his poem.. Then i found this poem entitled “fire and ice”.It is my first time to read this poem even he is one of my favorite..This poem is so simple but it has also deeper in meaning. The words that he used are just ordinary.I think in this poem is asking us…if we want to die in fire or in ice…just remember fire is desire and ice is hate..

nice poem<

this poem is not yet clear to me can you
reply on this if you
thank you if you will reply…

BlakeMMitchell · 12 September 2006

This is greatly overrated as poetry. I write better stuff myself.

Blake M. Mitchell

Magbagakay, St. Bernard

S. Leyte, Phils. 6616

Yiling Zhang · 17 October 2006

I think the poem can be understood in many layers.

First, of the real world ending, quickly and passionately in fire or slowly freezing over?

Secondary, a more religious layer. Fire leads to warmth, which signifies life. Also, the legendary creature phenoix, raises from ashes of a fire to be reborn. So fire may represent rebirth after death, resurrection. But also, Frost had experience so much hate and confusion in his lifetime that he would think maybe a cold final death may not be so bad after all.

Thirdly, the death of internal spirtual soul. Burning out quickly like a ball of fire or slowly fading away?

The poem could also be about the death of love. To desire, lust and dwiddle in despair after rejection. Or freeze the love in your heart, to not feel the pain nor anything.

There could be many other interpretions to this poem but none that I can think of that can cheer up the atmosphere of this poem. The last two lines: “Is also great, and would suffice.” Nonchanlantly dismisses and concludes this short intense musing, as if not of great importance.

Great poem, maybe I’ll write my exam on it:)

Bokelman Chad · 6 November 2006

Its about my outlook on women for me. A girl once said I look at women through ‘rose tinted glasses’. No. I look at them with a fire in my eyes because if I look at them through the harsh realities and bitter tones of ice all I get is negative perspectives. So I look at fire for desire. And ice for hate.

William Cole · 6 March 2007

hey i was reading online about “fire and ice” and i was wanderin if you did a paper on that poem, and i was just going to see how u did it.

Steve · 13 November 2007

I have just read the comment From: Yvette R Sangiorgio <yvetters@>,

re Frost’s Fire and Ice.

All I can say is that’s exactly it - how insightful. I love this poem, and now I get it - Thanks Yvette

Human love is not love at all - it is the intense emotion (desire/hate) that is born out of the need of the me. Love occurs when the me is not there. Love is a sleeping person. Love is a walking lion. Love is an emotion unattached to me.

BLA9RICHA · 30 November 2007

Valley Stream North High School, Franklin Square, New York graduate 1971. Before that time, I memorized Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, Dust of Snow…
familiarity w how beautiful, peaceful, & promising (Robert Frost) life can be.
I visited the Derry Farm twice, at the end of the 70s, Derry, New Hampshire. The eldest Robert Lee Frost daughter was at the farm on one occasion. This was the dedication of the Frost Derry Farm as a National Historic Site. Governor Meldrim Thomson spoke. - The Pinkerton Academy Band (Robert Frost taught English at P before Ron St. Gelet taught P French) played tunes quite well. - Lady was happy to talk about druids with me. So, that is what we discussed before the ceremony & speakers. Pinkerton Academy Band provided accompaniment to the druids.
I don’t know what prompted our animated discussion on the subject. If a major symphony orchestra had performed, the druids would not have received a hearing. No more notice than most poetry. RLF have any dealings with the druids? I wrote some poems back during Hofstra University times. Sent a few to Lesley graduate of Wellesley which I thought would suffice. We corresponded on several occasions. Lesley Frost Ballantine writes with extremely small handwritten script. Why is that? A child in elementary school, Corona Avenue Elementary School, Valley Stream, New York (Ronald C.), wrote in penmanship class that way. Teacher gave him a hard time about it. Just about everyone in the class had to see how small Ron’s handwriting was. And there were quite a few judgements passed on it.
- Robert Frost and Ezra Pound and Benito Mussolini were friends… and…that is how the world ends? A stampeding herd, “they are cattle all of them” (Ezekiel 38 Ezekiel 39 in The Dartmouth Bible) of muss? Or is herd Muss? Musses sufficient selfishness would suffice. Hitlerian eyes all ablaze…spirits as ice. Burning in their lusts one for the other… Slip slide far away to Zeta…recover. Richard B

Linda Evans · 10 January 2008

Frost didn’t believe good poetry was created by the usual use of unusual words. . .rather he believed in the unusual use of usual words. “Fire and Ice” explifies this to a T.

subtleties · 2 February 2008

there is a wonderful reference to this poem by T.S.Eliot in Four Quartets in
#4
Little Gidding

When the short day is brightest, with frost and fire, line 4 The brief sun flames the ice, on pond and ditches,

Rob