Dickson Lau
Fire and Ice- Robert Frost
In his poem Fire and IceRobert Frost compares and contrasts the two destructive forces: fire and ice. Frost presents the reader two options for the end of the world, either in hot fire or in icy cold. Although Frost chooses fire for the end of the world, he gives a fair comparison that ice could be the victor of the world's destruction.
The theme presents itself with Frost taking the position of fire. Frosts describes his view toward fire in the third and fourth lines when he says, "From what I've tasted of desire/ I hold with those who favor fire." This comparison suggests that Frost sees desire as an emotion that can consume and destroy, much like fire. Fire can spread easily and is contagious- nearly anything it touches turns into flames. Fire is full of energy and passion, like feelings.
Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken", 1874 - 1963
Robert Frost, American poet
English: Handwritten version of 'Happiness makes u...Desire can lead to greed which ultimately turns to jealousy. Jealousy is hot and uncontrollable sometimes, but it is natural for humans to feel jealous. This can easily be seen in innocent young children. When one little boy has a new shiny toy, all the other little boys want that same new shiny toy too. However, jealousy is only a form of selfishness. Thus, Frost implies that selfishness will one day consume the world like a great big fire. However, there is another side on how the world will end, which Frost masks as ice. Frost compares ice to the feeling hate as he shows in line six, "I think I know enough of hate". This comparison shows that the view of hate causes people to be rigid, unmoving, and cruel. Very much in contrast to fire, ice has no passion. Even the element itself causes everything around it...