Robert Frost Group
Question:
rhen
Student
College - Sophomore
What is the implication of the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost?
Answers:
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mshurn Teacher
College - FreshmaneNotes Editor
Posted by mshurn on Friday February 13, 2009 at 10:01 PMThrough the contrast of fire and ice, Frost examines two antithetical human emotions. Fire becomes a metaphor for love as he defines it in terms of desire, while ice functions as a metaphor for hatred. We can infer from the poem that these two emotions, which appear to be opposites, can be equally destructive.
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parkerlee Teacher
eNotes Editor
Posted by parkerlee on Friday February 13, 2009 at 10:13 PMFrost was often intentionally elusive in his use of metaphors. In this poem, by using the universal symbols of fire and ice, he leaves the gate wide open for multiple interpretations.
Although fire and ice are antithetical by nature, one can be as destructive as the other. This poem reminds me of Langston Hughes' poem "A Raisin in the Sun," where he points out that apathy and indifference (in Frost's poem, ice) can be as detrimental as rage and violence (as fire) over time.
See the section on "Fire and Ice" in the enotes reference below.
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