NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight

Fire and Ice

Updated For 2024-2025
Exams

 

Thinking about the Poem

Q.1: There are many ideas about how the
world will ‘end’. Do you think the world will end some day? Have you ever
thought what would happen if the sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder
and colder?

Answer:
Yes, it is possible that the world might end one day, either through natural
causes or human-made disasters. If the sun were to get extremely hot and
‘burst’, it could lead to the destruction of all life on Earth due to
unbearable heat. On the other hand, if the sun grew colder and colder, it could
result in the Earth freezing over, making it impossible to sustain life.

Q.2: 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

Answer:
For Frost, ‘fire’ represents intense emotions like desire, lust, and
greed, which can lead to destruction. On the other hand, ‘ice’
stands for hatred, coldness, indifference, and insensitivity, which can
also be destructive, though in a different way. Both fire and ice symbolize
destructive human behaviors that could lead to the end of the world.

Q.3: What is the rhyme scheme of the
poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?

Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABA ABC BCB. This rhyme scheme helps to
highlight the contrast between fire and ice, as well as the ideas they
represent. The alternating rhyme emphasizes the opposing destructive forces of
passionate desires (fire) and cold hatred (ice), showing that either could be
responsible for the world’s end.