"Fire and Ice" is a popular poem by American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963). It was written and published in 1920, shortly after WWI, and weighs up the probability of two differing apocalyptic scenarios represented by the elements of the poem's title. The speaker believes fire to be the more likely world-ender of the two, and links it directly with what he or she has "tasted" of "desire." In an ironically conversational tone, the speaker adds that ice—which represents hate and indifference—would "also" be "great" as a way of bringing about the end of the world. There are two reported inspirations for the poem: the first of these is Dante's Inferno, which is a poetic and literary journey into Hell written in the 14th century. The other is a reported conversation Frost had with an astronomer in which they talked about the sun exploding or extinguishing—fire or ice.
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The Full Text of “Fire and Ice”
1Some say the world will end in fire,
2Some say in ice.
3From what I’ve tasted of desire
4I hold with those who favor fire.
5But if it had to perish twice,
6I think I know enough of hate
7To say that for destruction ice
8Is also great
9And would suffice.
The Full Text of “Fire and Ice”
1Some say the world will end in fire,
2Some say in ice.
3From what I’ve tasted of desire
4I hold with those who favor fire.
5But if it had to perish twice,
6I think I know enough of hate
7To say that for destruction ice
8Is also great
9And would suffice.
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“Fire and Ice” Summary
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“Fire and Ice” Themes
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Hatred, Desire, and the End of the World
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Fire and Ice”
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Lines 1-2
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice. -
Lines 3-4
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire. -
Line 5
But if it had to perish twice,
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Lines 6-9
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
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“Fire and Ice” Symbols
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Fire
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Ice
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“Fire and Ice” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Anaphora
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Alliteration
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Antithesis
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Allusion
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Metaphor
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Enjambment
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Irony
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Oxymoron
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Sibilance
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“Fire and Ice” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Tasted
- Hold
- Favor
- Perish
- Great
- Suffice
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Fire and Ice”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Fire and Ice” Speaker
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“Fire and Ice” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Fire and Ice”
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More “Fire and Ice” Resources
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External Resources
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A Documentary About the Poet — An insightful video about Frost's life.
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A Reading by the Poet Himself — Robert Frost's own powerful reading of the poem.
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Robert Frost's Mission to Russia — This is a fascinating article about the time President Kennedy sent Robert Frost to Russia in the 1960s in an effort to help defuse tensions. Though this trip occurred decades later than the composition of "Fire and Ice," it was no less about the potential end of the world.
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More Poems by Frost — A number of Frost poems and an in-depth biography of the poet.
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An Insightful Interview with the Poet — In this video, Robert Frost is interviewed by author Bela Kornitzer in 1952.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Robert Frost
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