Fire and Ice – Summary
The poet talks about the two different beliefs regarding end of this world. He says that he is in the favour of those who say this world will end in fire as he has seen the effect and result of uncontrolled and unending desires. He finds the human desires same as fire in its nature. On the other hand, the second belief tells that ice is sufficient for destroying this world and the poet compares the nature of ice with hatred. As ice can make a part of body numb with its contact like hatred can also give numbness to our mind and thoughts and make us insensitive and cruel.
The speaker brings us into the middle of an argument between people who think the world will come to a fiery end and people who think the world will freeze. He could be talking about the literal end of the world, but he’s also talking about the power that human beings have to harm or “destroy” one another.
For Video Explanation Click on this link – https://youtu.be/5KusqMjCYtc
Questions & Answers
Question 1: What are the two opinions discussed in the poem about the end of this world?
Answer: The two opinions are that this world will end either in fire or in ice.
Question 2: What does fire stand for in the poem?
Answer: Fire stands for desire as it spreads very fast if remains uncontrolled.
Question 3: What does ice stand for in the poem?
Answer: Ice stands for hatred as both are same in nature, they make us insensitive and rigid.
Question 4: There are many ideas about how the world will ‘end’. Do you think the world will end some day? Have you ever thought what would happen if the sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?
Answer: Yes I believe that this world will end some but when nobody knows. Whether the sun gets hot or it gets colder in both the situations end of this world is sure.