7. Summary of the poem

"Fire and Ice" is a nine-line poem written by Robert Frost. It was first published in December \(1920\) in Harper's Magazine and later in \(1923\) in his collection of poems called New Hampshire. It is one of his well-known and most anthologised poems.

In the poem, the speaker raises the age old question as to how the world would end. The poet makes two prophecies about the end of the world: fire or ice. According to the speaker, "fire" symbolises desire, greed, and ambition. They expand the more you make an effort to appease them. It goes on forever. They engulf your entire existence and spread quickly like fire. One develops a nasty and occasionally egotistical nature. On the other hand, the speaker claims that "ice" represents hatred, rigidity, and coldness. One develops indifference and a lack of conacern for the feelings of others. According to the poet, the planet would soon perish in either fire or ice because both are spreading quickly.