Fire or Ice?
by: Gail Tunnell
One of my favorite poems by Robert Frost (and there are several!) is called “Fire and Ice.” It’s short enough to quote in its entirety for this article, so here it is:
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.
What fascinates me about this poem is not so much the reference to the “end-times,” but the human weaknesses he symbolizes with the elements of “fire” and “ice.”
Had I been the poet, I would have, without even thinking too much about it, connected “fire” with “hate.” Frost, however, uses fire as a metaphor for “desire.” Probably one of his attractions to the word is that it rhymes with “fire”; he is a poet, after all. But, it works on a deeper level, too. Synonyms for “desire” in the way he uses it include “envy,” “covetousness,” “greed,” “jealousy,” etc. We can destroy our own civilization, suggests Frost, with the sin of wanting what may belong to another, by burning and hungering for what we cannot or should not have.
Frost uses “ice” to symbolize “hate.” Instead of a scorching human hatred fueled by vengeance and angry emotion, his version is one that is cold, without feeling, unconcerned with the plight or suffering of others. This, too, is powerful.
Maybe this is an even stronger idea of hate than the more traditional one. If you hate me with the “burning” version, at least I matter to you, at least you acknowledge my existence. The “icy” option reveals that you do not even notice me as a fellow human being. If we allow this type of hatred in our hearts toward others, it is equally effective for destruction.
Let’s look at Jesus’ familiar teachings about hatred:
“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” Matthew 5: 43.
“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you…” Luke 6:27.
Whether our version of hatred is a fiery resentment or an icy unconcern, as Christians, we do not get to indulge it. We must replace it with love, with an active show of good-will: praying for others, doing good to them, wishing good for them. In Christ’s teachings, no one may be side-lined or ignored, even as no one may be resented or begrudged.
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.
What fascinates me about this poem is not so much the reference to the “end-times,” but the human weaknesses he symbolizes with the elements of “fire” and “ice.”
Had I been the poet, I would have, without even thinking too much about it, connected “fire” with “hate.” Frost, however, uses fire as a metaphor for “desire.” Probably one of his attractions to the word is that it rhymes with “fire”; he is a poet, after all. But, it works on a deeper level, too. Synonyms for “desire” in the way he uses it include “envy,” “covetousness,” “greed,” “jealousy,” etc. We can destroy our own civilization, suggests Frost, with the sin of wanting what may belong to another, by burning and hungering for what we cannot or should not have.
Frost uses “ice” to symbolize “hate.” Instead of a scorching human hatred fueled by vengeance and angry emotion, his version is one that is cold, without feeling, unconcerned with the plight or suffering of others. This, too, is powerful.
Maybe this is an even stronger idea of hate than the more traditional one. If you hate me with the “burning” version, at least I matter to you, at least you acknowledge my existence. The “icy” option reveals that you do not even notice me as a fellow human being. If we allow this type of hatred in our hearts toward others, it is equally effective for destruction.
Let’s look at Jesus’ familiar teachings about hatred:
“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” Matthew 5: 43.
“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you…” Luke 6:27.
Whether our version of hatred is a fiery resentment or an icy unconcern, as Christians, we do not get to indulge it. We must replace it with love, with an active show of good-will: praying for others, doing good to them, wishing good for them. In Christ’s teachings, no one may be side-lined or ignored, even as no one may be resented or begrudged.
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