Fire And Ice1 Copy

Fire and Ice

The poem Fire and Ice by Robert Frost is about the destructiveness of emotions due to the poems use of symbolism and hyperbole. Frost uses fire and ice as symbols for both desire and hate. This can be proved based on the lines ‘’ From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire.’’ and ‘’I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice.’’ where it states that desire causes him to favor fire, linking fire and desire. Similarly hate and ice are connected. The reason why fire and ice are used as symbolism for the human emotions desire and hate is to discuss how ‘’they will destroy the world ‘’ Now this is a hyperbole as both hate and desire can not literally destroy the world as they are not real items such as the early mentioned fire and ice. The hyperbole, however is instead used to illustrate that both fire and ice can be quite destructive. Frost is saying that the emotions of desire and hate can cause humans to cause damage their own world by going to the extreme by saying that the emotions themselves will destroy the world.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
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.