Fire and ice by Robert Frost
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
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.
(a) What is the poet’s opinion of the world in these lines? [CBSE 2014]
(b) What is the poet’s opinion about the world?
(c) What is the contradictory opinion of public?
(d) How are ice and fire similar to each other though they have contradictory traits? [CBSE 2011]
Answer:
(a) In the poet’s opinion the world will end in fire.
(b) According to the poet, the world will end in fire.
(c) The contradictory opinion of public is the debate whether the world will end in fire or ice.
(d) Both ice and fire have similar functionality, in the sense that both of them would destroy everything in the world.
Question 2.
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.
(a) What does ‘it’ refers to in the first line?
(b) What do you mean by ‘perish’?
(c) What does ice stand for?
(d) What would be the cause of destruction?
Answer:
(a) ‘It’ refers to the world.
(b) Perish means to die or to be destroyed.
(c) Ice stands for coldness and it symbolizes hatred.
(d) Ice or fire would be the cause of destruction.
(a) 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.
i. What is the prediction of the people about how the world will come to an end?
ii. What is the poet’s opinion about the end of the world?
iii. Which two vices will destroy the world?
iv. Give the antonym of ‘favour’.
Question3.
i) Some people say that the world will come to an end in a fire while others say it
will come to an end in ice.
ii) The poet is in favour of those who believe that the world will end in a fire.
iii) Hatred and Desire are the two vices that will destroy the world.
iv) disapprove of
Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]
Question 1.
For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for?
Answer:
The word ‘fire’ stands for desire. In the poem, it indicates all types of greed and lust. In today’s world, mankind’s greed is endangering the very existence of the planet Earth. The word ‘ice’ in the poem indicates hatred and indifference which is as cold as ‘ice’.
Question 2.
How has Frost brought out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Answer:
‘Desire’ propels us in hot pursuit of something, hence, it is compared with fire. ‘Hatred’ makes us cold towards other’s feelings. The coldness of ice can numb our senses. Similarly, the coldness of our hearts can numb our kindness. That is why ‘hatred’ has been compared with ice.
Question3.
Which two ideas about how the world will end have been mentioned in the poem?
Which idea does the poet support more?
The two ideas mentioned are that the world will end in fire or in ice.
Though the poet thinks both are great for destruction, yet he seems to favour
the idea of the destruction of the world in a fire a little more than in ice.
Question4.
But if it had to perish twice. Why does the poet use the word ’if’?
The poet says that both fire and ice are destructive. Here, fire stands for the heat
of desire and ice stands for hatred. He thinks that our violent desires will end the
world. If it survives, it will be ruined by hatred.
Q5 Answer the following question in 100-120 words.
How does the poem depict the two contrasting ideas ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? Explain bringing
out values which can make this world a better place to live in.
Ans: Robert Frost refers to two contrasting ideas ‘Fire and Ice’ as predictions of how
the world will end. According to him, some people say that the world will end
in fire while some others hold that this will end in ice. The poet equates desire
with fire and hatred with ice. Both the desire and hatred are growing with such a rapid speed that the world will come to an end in either of the ways.
Intolerance in behaviour creates hatred that leads to fury and cruelty. One becomes hard-hearted and insensitive to the feelings of others.
Love, brotherhood, tolerance, peace, contentment, sensitivity, benevolence,
generosity among people can make this world a better place to live in.
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
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.
(a) What is the poet’s opinion of the world in these lines? [CBSE 2014]
(b) What is the poet’s opinion about the world?
(c) What is the contradictory opinion of public?
(d) How are ice and fire similar to each other though they have contradictory traits? [CBSE 2011]
Answer:
(a) In the poet’s opinion the world will end in fire.
(b) According to the poet, the world will end in fire.
(c) The contradictory opinion of public is the debate whether the world will end in fire or ice.
(d) Both ice and fire have similar functionality, in the sense that both of them would destroy everything in the world.
Question 2.
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.
(a) What does ‘it’ refers to in the first line?
(b) What do you mean by ‘perish’?
(c) What does ice stand for?
(d) What would be the cause of destruction?
Answer:
(a) ‘It’ refers to the world.
(b) Perish means to die or to be destroyed.
(c) Ice stands for coldness and it symbolizes hatred.
(d) Ice or fire would be the cause of destruction.
(a) 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.
i. What is the prediction of the people about how the world will come to an end?
ii. What is the poet’s opinion about the end of the world?
iii. Which two vices will destroy the world?
iv. Give the antonym of ‘favour’.
Question3.
i) Some people say that the world will come to an end in a fire while others say it
will come to an end in ice.
ii) The poet is in favour of those who believe that the world will end in a fire.
iii) Hatred and Desire are the two vices that will destroy the world.
iv) disapprove of
Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]
Question 1.
For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for?
Answer:
The word ‘fire’ stands for desire. In the poem, it indicates all types of greed and lust. In today’s world, mankind’s greed is endangering the very existence of the planet Earth. The word ‘ice’ in the poem indicates hatred and indifference which is as cold as ‘ice’.
Question 2.
How has Frost brought out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Answer:
‘Desire’ propels us in hot pursuit of something, hence, it is compared with fire. ‘Hatred’ makes us cold towards other’s feelings. The coldness of ice can numb our senses. Similarly, the coldness of our hearts can numb our kindness. That is why ‘hatred’ has been compared with ice.
Question3.
Which two ideas about how the world will end have been mentioned in the poem?
Which idea does the poet support more?
The two ideas mentioned are that the world will end in fire or in ice.
Though the poet thinks both are great for destruction, yet he seems to favour
the idea of the destruction of the world in a fire a little more than in ice.
Question4.
But if it had to perish twice. Why does the poet use the word ’if’?
The poet says that both fire and ice are destructive. Here, fire stands for the heat
of desire and ice stands for hatred. He thinks that our violent desires will end the
world. If it survives, it will be ruined by hatred.
Q5 Answer the following question in 100-120 words.
How does the poem depict the two contrasting ideas ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? Explain bringing
out values which can make this world a better place to live in.
Ans: Robert Frost refers to two contrasting ideas ‘Fire and Ice’ as predictions of how
the world will end. According to him, some people say that the world will end
in fire while some others hold that this will end in ice. The poet equates desire
with fire and hatred with ice. Both the desire and hatred are growing with such a rapid speed that the world will come to an end in either of the ways.
Intolerance in behaviour creates hatred that leads to fury and cruelty. One becomes hard-hearted and insensitive to the feelings of others.
Love, brotherhood, tolerance, peace, contentment, sensitivity, benevolence,
generosity among people can make this world a better place to live in.
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