Fire and Ice (poem)

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Fire and Ice is one of Robert Frost's most popular poems, published in his book New Hampshire.

The poem discusses the end of the world, with Frost positing that it could end in either fire or ice. He relates the two elemental forces with the human emotions desire and hate, respectively, and suggests that while the chill might of hate certainly has the power to end the world, his experiences have led him to believe that it is in the fires of passion that the end times will be found.

Some scholars have pointed out that if the poem's shape can appear like dangling icicles if viewed one way, and like the flames of fire if viewed the other.

[edit] The Poem

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.