Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Full Text

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor 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.

Overview

Frost compresses cosmic end-times into human emotions: desire and hate become rival dooms.

Line-by-Line Analysis

Lines 1-4

The speaker compares two apocalyptic theories and aligns fire with desire.

Lines 5-9

Hate’s coldness is judged equally destructive, making ice a second valid ending.

Themes

• Desire
• Hate
• Destruction
• Human nature
• Irony

Literary Devices

Metaphor

fire... ice — Emotions are mapped onto elemental forces.

Understatement

I think I know enough of hate — The calm tone heightens the dark message.

Historical Context

Published after World War I, the poem distills large-scale catastrophe into personal psychology.