Question

Explain the following stanza with reference to the context:
Some say world will end in fire
Some say the world will end in ice
From what I have tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire

Answer 1

Hint: These lines are from a famous poem by Robert frost. This poem carries the theme of destruction. Destructive power of the human emotions, especially hatred and desire.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice”. The theme of the poem is the destructiveness of the passions of love and hate. Symbolically interpreting the poem, fire stands for the heat of love and passion, while ice for the cold of hate.

Complete step-by-step answer:

In the first two lines of this poem ‘Some say the…. in ice’, the poet says that some people say that the world will end in fire, while some others say that it will end in ice. So, here he considers the age-old question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice. This is like another age-old question: whether it would be preferable to freeze to death or burn to death. In the next two lines that is, ‘From what I have…… who favor fire’ he says that, from what he has known of desire, he agrees with those who hold the opinion that the world is to be consumed by Fire, that is the fire of desire.

Note: Fire is the poem does not refer to actual fire. Here, fire is the destructive power of never-ending human desire.