Fire and Ice

The speaker displays a reluctance to make a choice, as well as passivity at even being presented with two choices. The speaker’s reluctance to make a choice also represents the speaker’s lack of fear. The poem possesses few traces of emotion or worry regarding the apocalypse. The speaker distances themself from not only the decision-making but also fear and emotion by repeating the phrase “Some say”: “Some say the world will end in fire / Some say in ice” (Lines 1-2). This distancing makes the speaker’s lack of fear uncomfortable and even frightening. The speaker’s resigned attitude expresses the powerlessness of modern humanity that possesses the power to destroy itself because of its technological and industrial advances. The speaker’s disassociated tone also serves as a warning that constant exposure to violence numbs an individual. The speaker states “I think I know enough of hate” (Line 6). This serves as another warning: advancements do not necessarily lead to a peaceful existence and instead breed new fears.

“Fire and Ice” relies on a mix of senses and emotions. The poem opens with the line “Some say the world will end in fire” (Line 1). The speaker reluctantly states, “From what I’ve tasted of desire / I hold with those who favor fire” (Lines 3-4). Fire represents desire, and desire can sometimes be synonymous with love. Love has many facets, including commitment and responsibility. Desire is a fundamental response to falling in love, but if handled carelessly, the emotion can turn destructive. Desire, like fire, is a huge store of energy that channels and directs in different ways. This channeling and change of direction manifests in the poem when the speaker begins considering the opposite of their initial supposition: “But if it had to perish twice / I think I know enough of hate” (Lines 5-6). The speaker then continues, “To say that for destruction ice / Is also great / And would suffice” (Lines 7-9). Romantic and erotic desire are the most common forms of love. However, the desire for materials and wealth can transform into hate, which hardens an individual’s emotions and feeds greed.