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Journal #22

1/22/03

Topic: What is Fire and Ice about?

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 it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great.

And would suffice.

 

Frost’s poem Fire and Ice is about the two emotions in the world that are the most destructive: desire and hate. In the poem, desire is the equivalent of fire and hate is portrayed by ice. Desire is found in just about every human on Earth. In many cases it burns so hotly within people that it threatens to explode and consume the world as a whole. Ambition, if it is misdirected, can cause no end of trouble and destruction. If desire is the equivalent of a nuclear war that destroys the world in an instant, hate is the hole in the ozone layer that slowly but surely kills the world. Frost portrays hate as the executioner of choice if the world had to die twice. Desire will be satisfied time and time again, only to return. Hate is omnipresent and can never be fulfilled in the way that desire can.

 

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Writer’s Reflection:

Once again, reflection and contemplation are the reasons that I like this journal. The only meaning of this journal was to briefly analyze the poem. I enjoy thinking about "what if’s" and contemplating "action, reaction" sequences. It’s a great way to fill the time when you’re bored in class.