How Does Robert Frost Contribute To The End Of The World?

The poem, “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost is a short verse that discusses one of the most controversial and debated topics since the beginning of civilization, the end of the world. This poem represents mankind’s question of what will happen in the future. Incredibly dark and nonchalant about destruction, Frost’s poem captures the attention of the audience despite being only nine lines. Frost’s ability to capture so completely his emotions in so short a poem is part of the reason that he is such a popular and influential poet. Robert Frost’s background greatly contributed to his depiction of the end of the world, which was also strengthened by his use of short lines full of symbolism, and his detached mood.

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco

Published in 1923, “Fire and Ice” came to the public only five years after the end of the Great War, otherwise known as World War One. Frost was living in England during the first year of the war, 1914, but moved back to America in 1915 (Robert Frost”). Being so near the conflict inevitably ingrained in Frost’s mind the idea of the world ending. The hate, violence, and suffering he witnessed no doubt influenced his concept of the two universal elements, fire and ice. Separating them into two terrible and different yet equal forces of destruction. Despite the war being over and reconstruction taking place, the end of the world crisis averted, the thought was surely still on people’s minds. Frost harnessed his own perception of these two seemingly unstoppable forces to compel the public ask themselves what they would choose.

The poem itself tells us that Frost’s experiences influenced his understanding when it says, “From what I’ve tasted of desire” and, “I think I know enough of hate” (Frost). The destructive force of fire represents desire while the ice represents hate. Clearly, Frost has experienced fire, or desire and passion. Perhaps the strongest desire of all being the love he gave his wife Elinor. Frost also says that he knows enough of hate, indicating his experiences with icy hatred during World War One, or perhaps the hatred and loneliness he felt after the death

They are short. This alludes to the fact that the destruction of the world, whether it be by fire or ice, as described in the poem will be swift, not long and drawn out. The next symbol shown is the aforementioned conspicuous use of fire and ice. The line, “From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire” indicates that fire, while being the literal force that would destroy the world, is also a symbol for desire or love. The antithesis of love is the hate symbolized by ice in the line, “I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great” (Frost). Fire and ice are more than just symbols for emotions, they are characterized by them. A flame is bright and powerful like love, while ice is cold and numbing like hate. The debate over how the world will end is overshadowed by the ultimate debate deciding which emotion is greater and stronger, love or hate. Continuing the symbolism of fire and ice representing love and hate, the title, “Fire and Ice” expresses that love and hate go together, they cannot be