Page 3 - Notes

“But if it had to perish twice’’
Why does the poet use ‘if’ in the above quotation?

Nobody knows whether the world will end in fire or in ice. But the idea of the destruction
of the world twice is somewhat complicated. The poet does not believe that the world will
end twice. That’s why the poet expresses his suspicion by using the term ’if’..

Comment on the ending of the poem.
The ending of the poem implies that ice has also the power to bring about the
destruction of the world. So we should not bother about the matter that which one of the

two (fire and ice) is stronger rather, we should keep in mind that both of them have
destructive power. We should not ignore the potential power of ice which is equally
harmful.

“I think I know enough of hate”What does the speaker know about hate?
The speaker in the above line says that he knows enough of hate but we are not told he

has first-hand knowledge about hate or he experiences it at a distance. But the poet’s
intuitive power reminds him it is no less dangerous than the fire of lust. It can also play a
trick upon anybody as it a silent killer.

What is enjambment? Why does the poet use this device in the present poem?
Enjambment is a continuation of one line to the next line. There is a strong enjambment
in line number 7. The poet uses this to reveal the tension needed for the perfect

disappointment. This disappointment generates from the poet’s fear that ice is no less
powerful than fire. It is generally ignored by the people as it works silently but it can also
appear to be a great threat to human civilization.

What message does the poet give to the reader?
Once Robert Frost claimed, “my poem begins in delight but ends in wisdom”. The

present poem echoes the above statement. In this poem, the poet considers the age-old
question whether the world will end in fire or in ice. It is quite interesting that the poet
does not give his own opinion in this regard. It is meaningless to ask which one is

stronger as we know both of them are equally harmful to the world. We can associate
fire with lust, greed, avarice and intolerance whereas ice can be associated with hatred
and indifference. The fire of lust and greed gets publicity but the coldness of hatred is
also dangerous as it is a silent killer. All of such black sides of human nature can

obstruct the progress of human civilization.