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Poem Analysis of Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Essay

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Most people know the poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost. It is pretty famous. But do most people know the meaning of this unique poem? What does Robert Frost mean when he writes “if the world had to perish twice?” Although it is short, “Fire and Ice” is a puzzling poem filled with words that hold a meaning that we have to unlock.
In the poem, Frost is the narrator and he is speaking to the readers. The issue that Frost discusses is if the world will end in a blazing fire or in freezing ice. Based on the poem, Frost believes he would perish by fire because in verses 3 and 4 he wrote: From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. But in verses 5, 6, 7, and 8 Frost wrote: But if it had to perish twice, I think I know …show more content…

Ice is being rhymed with twice and suffice, even though suffice does not exactly rhyme with ice. The “-ate” part is rhymed with hate and great.
The only alliteration that can be found in this poem is in verse 4 when Frost writes “favor fire.” In verses 1 and 2, he writes “some say” which can also be considered an alliteration. An assonance I think I’ve found is “I hold with those who favor” because of the repeating “o” in the words.
This poem is typical of the poet’s style because Frost writes a lot about human nature and compares people to nature itself. He judges people and society as a whole. He also uses a lot of literary devices in his poems like metaphors. Frost describes nature in beautiful ways in his poems and “Fire and Ice” is just like the rest of them. It isn’t a departure of common themes.
Frost affects the tone through word choice because he uses the word “perish” to give emphasis of the world vanishing. Instead of using words like disappear or leave, he uses perish because it gives the poem a stronger meaning. He also uses the word “destruction” to give the poem an intense feeling. By using this word, he makes the poem deeper and stronger than it already is.
This poem matters because it talks about how humans are ruining the world. The fire, or human desire, will take over because humans are becoming greedy and selfish, fulfilling their own desires even if it means the world falling apart. The ice, or hate, will take over

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