Q1.
There are many ideas about how the world will ‘end’. Do you think the
world will end someday? Have you ever thought what would happen if the
sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?
Ans: Yes,
I believe that this world will end someday but when nobody knows.
Whether the sun gets hot or it gets colder in both situations end of
this world is sure.
Q2. For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for? Here are some ideas:
Greed | Avarice | Cruelty | Lust |
Conflict | Fury | Intolerance | Rigidity |
Insensitivity | Coldness | Indifference | Hatred |
Ans: For Frost, ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stands for destructive powers. ‘Fire’
stands for greed, avarice, lust, conflict, and fury. ‘Ice’ stands for
cruelty, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference
and hatred.
Q3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Ans:
The rhyme scheme of the poem is: a, b, a, a; b. c, b, c,b.
The
contrasting ideas of ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ are presented using this rhyme
scheme. He mentions that both fire and ice are probable ends of this
world. While he talks about how fire represents desire and can,
therefore, be a cause of the end of the world, he also mentions ice in
between to symbolise that the coldness and indifference towards one
another will also be enough to end the world.
In the
second stanza, he says that he knows of enough hate in the world to be
sure that even destruction through the ice would be sufficient to bring
about the end of the world.
Previous Year Questions - Fire and Ice
2022
Q1: Explain why the poet personally holds the conviction that the world will primarily end in fire? (2022-23)
Ans: According to the poet, human’s never-ending desires and ever increasing hatred would be enough to bring destruction to the world. In the poem, the fire represents desire. Like fire, desire spreads quickly and overpowers a person's sane thinking and whole life. The poet personally holds the conviction that the world will primarily end in fire as he was a victim of the fiery aspect of desire. He had experienced its destructive effects in life by his own confession (from what I’ve tasted ....)
2021
Q1: Which word from the poem, Fire and Ice will complete the following? (Term I, 2021-22)
Cruelty : Fire : : Insensitivity : ______
(a) Ice
(b) Hate
(c) Desire
(d) Destruction
Ans: (a)
Q2: Which option correctly replaces the underlined phrase in the given line from Fire and Ice?
'I hold with those who favour fire.'
(a) am as experienced as
(b) strongly disagree with
(c) have the same opinion as
(d) habitually avoid (Term I, 2021-22)
Ans: (c) have the same opinion as
2020
Q1: The use of symbolism in the poem 'Fire and Ice’ conveys the poet’s message effectively. Expand with reference to the poem. (2020-21)
Ans:
HINTS:
- Poem discusses the way the world can end.
- Fire stands for great/lust/human desire; Ice stands for hatred/coldness/human indifference;
- World can end with either greed or indifference.
