Summarize the poem: 'Fire and Ice' in your own words.
Explain the following stanza;
"The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued".
Answers
Summary : Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice is a symbolic poem by The poet Robert Frost. This poem is a contemplation about how the world will end in. Whether it will end in Fire or in Ice.
The poet concludes that any of the two is sufficient for its purpose. People are divided in this issue. Some favor Fire for the cause of destruction while some other believe that cause of end will be Ice. Putting in terms of human emotions , Fire stands for passion, desire , love . uncontrolled human desires will led this world to end . On the other side Ice stands for hatred and coldness . For which the poet says if the world will have to end twice then Ice is also a sufficient well cause.
In these two beliefs , Poet favors Fire. He confess that He is also tasted of desires therefore, he know the destructive phase of Fire.
Explanation of the stanza ( poem: dust of snow )
It was a gloomy and ruined day for Poet ( Robert frost ) till when a crow shook down dust of snow on him from a hemlock tree.
This ordinary happening completely changed the depressing mental state of poet , and had a tremendous effect on his mood. It all delighted him . He realize that falling of snowflakes on him has saved his day that earlier seemed wasted. Now he has no regret . falling of snowflakes has changed his mood and has boosted his spirit.
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About : Robert frost
→ Robert frost was a famous American Poet.
→ He was born in San Francisco on march 26, 1864 .
→ His father belonged to new England .
→ His mother was a Scottish from Edinburgh.
→ The poem "dust of snow" and "Fire and Ice" were published in New Hampshire in 1923.
→ This collection gave him the Pulitzer Prize.