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Fire & Ice Handout

The document provides guidance to students on completing an assignment for the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost. It includes discussion questions about themes in the poem, hints for answering the questions, and space for students to write their responses in their registers. Students are asked to maintain order of the questions and draw a line after each answer.

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Aarav Verma
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72 views2 pages

Fire & Ice Handout

The document provides guidance to students on completing an assignment for the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost. It includes discussion questions about themes in the poem, hints for answering the questions, and space for students to write their responses in their registers. Students are asked to maintain order of the questions and draw a line after each answer.

Uploaded by

Aarav Verma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL,NOIDA

Fire and Ice Handout- Robert Frost, Class X, 2022-23

Instructions for students :


(i) This handout is a help, meant for you to complete your assignment in your registers.
(ii) The questions have been supported with relevant hints and value points for your help, so that you may
structure your answers appropriately in the registers
(iii) Please maintain the order of questions, as per the handout, while doing your work in the register and
draw a line after every question.

Summary Statement
The poem revolves around the age old question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice. The poet
determines that either option would achieve its purpose sufficiently well.

Poem at a Glance
● A short, symbolic poem of nine lines. Frost poem begins his poem in delight and ends in wisdom
● Rhyme scheme ABA ABC BCB.
● In the first paragraph, the poet explains the popular debate that is prevailing in the society since long about what
will destroy the world i.e. fire or ice.
● For the poet, fire means the burning desire for the material things
● Ice symbolises the coldness and indifference towards one another that emerges in humans because of the desires
and materialistic life.
● In the end, he says that he knows of enough hate in the world to be sure that even destruction through ice can
bring about the end of the world.
● He finally concludes that both, Fire and Ice are equally dangerous and can lead the world towards
destruction.

RTC-1
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour 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

1. Choose the CORRECT statement about the given poem.


a) Fire and ice are images—they help the readers visualise the power of nature over man.
b) Fire and ice are symbols—not of natural disasters, but of humanity’s ability to create disasters of
its own.
c) Fire and ice are elements—not of Nature but man-made and possess the ability to create havoc for
mankind.
d) Fire and ice are agents—they change the thinking of mankind from negative to positive and bring
harmony.

2. Select the option that correctly classifies the connotations for fire and ice, as suggested in the poem.
(1) rage (2) violence (3) indifference (4) hate (5) greed

a) Fire- 3,4; Ice- 1,2,5


b) Fire- 2, 5; Ice-1,3,4
c) Fire-1,3,5; Ice- 2, 4
d) Fire- 1,2,4; Ice- 3,5
3. The poem is a _________, put across by the poet.
a) powerful warning b) heart-felt apology c) earnest appeal d) vengeful threat

4. The poet uses the phrasal verb -hold with.


Choose the option that DOES NOT indicate a valid phrasal verb.

a) option 1 b) option 2 c) option 3 d) option 4

5. Pick the option that is NOT TRUE about the poet according to the extract. The poet _________
a) is inclined to believe that the world would most likely end with fire.
b) has heard divided opinions about the way the world would end in all likelihood.
c) preaches love and kindness to combat the spread of hate among all.
d) declares the power of ice to be as destructive as that of fire.

6. Identify the most likely tone of the poet in the lines- ‘To say that for destruction ice/Is also great’.
a) sarcastic b) serious c) amused d) celebratory

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Answer in your register in 30 -40 words using the hints
provided)
Q1. What message does the poet give to the reader?
Q2. Is the poet’s personal view regarding the end of the world clear enough?
Q3. For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for? ‘

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS, HOTs (Answer in100-150 words using the value points
provided. )
Q4. The poem ‘Fire and Ice’, carries with it very deep thematic ideas. Elaborate on these darkest traits of
humanity.

Hints for Answers

RTC
i) b ii) d iii) a iv) d v) c vi) a

SAQ (30-40 words)


A1. fire i.e., the burning desire for the material things and ice i.e., coldness and indifference towards one . Both can
lead to the destruction of life on the planet Earth.
A2. Yes. poet wonders about what will destroy the world i.e. fire or ice. He feels that ‘fire’ i.e., the burning desire for
the material things alone will suffice to destroy the world.
A3. Refer to A1.

LAQ (100-150 words. Write in 2-3 paras)


A4. Frost presents two of the darkest traits of humanity that will lead to the destruction of the planet. The first being
Fire, the burning desire for the material things and Ice i.e., the coldness and indifference towards one another that
emerges in humans because of the desires and materialistic life.
He says that the greater of the two evils, is desire. Frost is providing a powerful statement on the subject of greed and
jealousy, saying that of all the traits of humanity that is most likely to lead the destruction of the planet, Desire is the
greatest problem and the cause for all wars. Hate is the root cause of racism. It can linger in people’s mind for
lifetimes. Moreover, it consumes the hater even more than the person hated. It thus, ruins lives.
Frost then talks about how destruction by ice will end the world.
These negative emotions will become so strong that they will surpass love and lead to the destruction of humanity.

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