Fire and Ice

I think Robert Frost was an interesting poet and it wasn't until today that I fully began to understand some of his poems. I especially find the poem, "Fire and Ice", very interesting. It catches my attention because fire and ice are two humanly characteristics. The fire would represent our burning desire for material wants, while the ice represents how cold and uncaring we can be towards one another. Usually his poems connect in some way to his life, maybe this poem was meant for his wife. He had a burning desire for her while she was alive, and now feels cold and lonely with her gone. Course it could also mean in a historical context, the battle between religion and science. Religion sees the world ending in a great war with fire and brimstone, while science contends that a great ice age will come and slowly freeze us over again.

Fire and Ice

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 I had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

Frost is one of America's greatest poets. One thing that really stuck out to me, was that he got to speak at Kennedy's inauguration. I can not imagine having the President want me to speak at his inauguration in front of millions of people. He must have been real nervous! His poems are quite unique, you can catch glimpses of his life through his poetry but they can also be related to a much larger context. I think his poems were meant for the reader to decide what they think about it. Some of them it even depends upon what mood you are in to how you will feel about the poem.

Here is a website containing Robert Frost's biography and works of poetry.