Fire and Ice

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1920

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Fire

In “Fire and Ice,” fire is one of the two most obvious symbols. It is used to represent many different feelings, emotions, and states of being. The speaker states that when thinking about how the world ends and choosing how it will end, they “hold with those who favor fire” (Line 4) because of their experience—”From what I’ve tasted of desire” (Line 3). Desire can consist of possessiveness and obsessiveness. Desire can grow into a mutated form of love capable of destroying the desirous person and the people around them. This mutation makes desire transform into the opposite of love, since love cannot destroy and love protects. Desire can become more like an uncontrolled wildfire: It’s easy to start and difficult to contain; it can destroy quickly.

Ice

The second most obvious symbol in “Fire and Ice” is ice. The speaker asserts,

But if it had to perish twice

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great (Lines 5-8).

In the poem, ice symbolizes hate. Though ice is superficially pure, it is cold, and it represents humanity’s uncaring nature. The ice also symbolizes a lack of humanity and a lack of love, which breeds hate. When the speaker states, “I think I know of hate” (Line 6), they provide a reflection on the coldness of human relationships that can only be equated with ice. The speaker asserts, “To say that for destruction ice / Is also great / And would suffice” (Lines 7-9), they use the ice as a representation for the destruction of humanity or individuals by their passions and desires.

Desire and Hate

While ice symbolizes hate and inhumanity, and while fire represents uncontrolled desire, desire and hate have their own symbolism in the poem. Desire and hate are the only two emotions clearly mentioned in the poem. Humans possess both emotions, and the poem serves as a clear warning that one must live a balanced life, because an unbalanced life can be destructive. Desire represents humanity’s passion, greed, anger, violence, and bloodlust. Desire symbolizes humanity’s capacity for destruction, and the speaker warns that this capacity is so great that humanity could bring an end to itself more than once. The speaker aligns hatred with ice, because hate can spread in more subtle ways than desire can. Hatred doesn’t have to be bright and noisy. It can be a slow, deliberate, or not deliberate process that eventually consumes an individual.

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