Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 2 Fire and Ice

Thinking about the Poem

Question 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 gets so hot that it bursts or grows colder and colder?

Answer:
There are definitely many ideas about how the world will end. I do believe that the world will end some day as anything that has a beginning will have an end. This stands true for the world also, if the Sun got so hot that it burst, the whole of the Earth would perish immediately as no part of the Earth can bear the heat of that intensity. But if the Sun grew colder and colder, everything will come to an end as without sunlight, life will end

Question 2.
For Frost, what do fire and ice stand for? Here are some ideas?

Answer:
Fire stands for greed, avarice, lust, conflict and fury. Ice stands for cruelty, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference and hatred

Question 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- a b a a b c b c b
This rhyme scheme helps in bringing out the contrasting ideas of fire and ice presented in the poem. The poet mentions that both fire and ice are probable ends of this world. He talks about how fire represents desire and can therefore be a cause of the end of the world. Frost also mentions ice in between to symbolise that the coldness and indifference towards one another will be enough to end the world. In the second stanza, he says that he knows of enough hate in the world to be sure that even destruction through ice . would be sufficient to bring about the

Important Question

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 2 Fire and Ice

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What is ‘fire’ a symbol of?
Year of Question(2013)

Answer:
‘Fire‘ is a symbol of lust and endless desires.

Question 2.
What is ‘Ice’ a symbol of?
Year of Question(2012)

Answer:
Ice is a symbol of hatred.

Question 3.
What are two different views about the end of the world in the poem ‘Fire and Ice’?
Year of Question(2010)

Answer:
The two different views of people regarding the end of the world are fire and ice i.e., by desire and hatred.

Question 4.
Why does the poet hold with those who favour fire?
Year of Question(2002)

Answer:
The poet holds with those who favour fire because the lust for material things is increasing quickly.

Question 5.
What will fire do to the world?
Year of Question(2004)

Answer:
Fire will put the world to an end.

Question 6.
Why do some people say that the world will end in ice?
Year of Question(2006)

Answer:
They say so because hatred among people is increasing fast.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Will this world come to an end? What does the poet say in this regard?
Year of Question(2008)

Answer:
Everything that has a beginning or origin, does have an end. It is an eternal law of nature. The existing world will come to an end, someday. The poet believed many people believe that either ‘fire’ or ‘ice’ will be the cause of the end of the world.

Question 2.
What message does the poet wish to convey through the poem ‘Fire and ‘Ice’?
Year of Question(2010)

Answer:
The poet presents two possibilities about the end of the world. It will be either due to ‘Fire and ‘Ice’ he prefers the first as he believes the world will end in fire but the ice will not go away.

Question 3.
What is the message of the poem ‘Fire and Ice’?
Year of Question(2012)

Answer:
The metaphors of ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ are used very effectively to convey a definite message to the readers. ‘Fire’ here stands for our unbridled, uncontrolled and unchecked passions, desires, lust and fury. Such passions are disastrous for human beings. Similarly cold reasoning devoid of all human warmth, love, sympathy will bring insensitivity, cruelty and rigidity. This hatred will lead to the end of this world.

Question 4.
According to the poet, what does ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ represent? Do you agree with him?
Year of Question(2014)

Answer:
According to the poet, ‘fire’ represents desire and ‘ice’ represents hatred. I do agree with the poet. Desires like fire spread rapidly and engulf one’s whole life. Similarly ‘hatred’ fills the whole life with poison. It makes one hard-hearted and cruel.

Question 5.
What do people think about the end of the world? Who does the poet side with and why?
Year of Question(2016)

Answer:
People are divided over the cause of the end of this world. Some people think that ‘fire’ symbolised by unbridled passions, desires and fury will destroy this world. Others believe that ‘ice’ symbolised by cold reasoning, indifference and hatred will be the cause of destruction. The poet sides with those who believe that ‘fire’ or unbridled passions and desires will result in the destruction of the world.

Question 6.
What does the poet think about the end of the world?
Year of Question(2018)

Answer:
The poet thinks about the end of the world that people think fire is the main cause of destruction. But by the end of the poem he says that both Fire and Ice are equally destructive. Both have the same power of causing destruction.

Question 7.
Why does the poet say, ‘I’ve tasted of desire/I hold with those who favour fire?
Year of Question(2003)

Answer:
The poet is familiar with the fire of passions and desires in love. He knows it quite well that are uncontrolled desires, passions and fury lead to our destruction. Similarly, he sides with those people who believe that ‘fire’ symbolised by unbridled passions and desires with be the real cause of the end of the world.

Question 8.
How can fire destroy the world
Year of Question(2005)

Answer:
‘Fire‘ symbolizes passion or hatred. It will lead to conflicts and ultimately result in the destruction of the world. Fire represents desire that is fervent, consuming, always wanting more. Ice represents hatred that is hard and cold.

Question 9.
What do you think would be enough to destroy the world? Can Fire and Ice contribute to it?
Year of Question(2007)

Answer:
Our desires and hatred would be enough to destroy the world. According to the poet, fire’ represents ‘desire’ and `ice’ represents `hatred’. Desires like fire spread rapidly and engulf one’s whole life. Similarly, ‘hatred’ fills life with poison.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do the metaphors of ‘ice’ and ‘fire’ convey to the readers? Don’t they represent the two extremes of human behaviour that can lead to the destruction and death of this world? What is the message that the poet wants to give to the readers?
Year of Question(2009)

Answer:
The poet has touched the universal issue of the ending of this existing world. He gives a message as well as a warning to human beings. Man is swaying between two extremes - ‘fire’ and ‘ice’. Sometimes he is torn by his unbridled fire of passions, desires, lusts, longings, and fury. This results in greed, avarice and passionate love. All such extremes can lead to unavoidable conflicts and disasters. If not controlled, they can help in bringing an early end of this world.
The other extreme behaviour of human beings is born out of cold and ‘icy’ reasoning. When our cold reasoning becomes completely devoid of human warmth, feelings, love, and sympathy, it breeds hatred. Hatred born out of cold indifference, insensitivity and rigidity are strong enough to cause the end of this world. Humanity can redeem itself and possibly save or delay the end of the world by giving up such extremes of thinking and behaviour.
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:
There are many ideas about how the world will end. Robert Frost points out two destructive forces-Fire and Ice, they may cause an end to the world. Yes, everything is subjected to an end. The world would come to an end someday. The cause may be a war or natural calamity. The sun is the main source of energy. It is life on the earth. If the sun got so hot that it "burst’ or grew colder and colder the life on the earth would come to an end.

Question 2.
How does the poem depicts the two contrasting ideas- ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? Can hatred destroy us and the world? Explain bringing out values which can make this world a better place to live in.
Year of Question(2011)

Answer:
(i) In this poem, Robert Frost refers to two contrasting ideas-Fire and Ice as predictions of how the world will end. According to him, some people say that the world will end in a fire while some others hold that this will end in ice. The poet equates desire with fire and hatred with ice. Both the desire and hatred are growing with such a rapid speed that the world will come to an end either of the ways.
(ii) Yes, hatred can destroy us and the world. Intolerance in behaviour creates hatred that leads to fury and cruelty. One becomes hard-hearted and insensitive to the feelings of others.
(iii) Love, brotherhood, tolerance, peace, contentment, sensitivity, benevolence, generosity among people can make this world a better place to live in.

Question 3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Year of Question(2013)

Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the poem in the first stanza is a, b; a band in the second stanza it is - a, b, a, b, a.
The lines ending with the same rhythm have the same idea but the line that ends with a different note has the contrasting idea. In the first stanza, the first, third and fourth lines end with the words fire, desire, fire - same rhythm but the second line ends with the word ‘ice’, a different note, also it contrasts with ‘fire’.
Thus the poet has brought out the contrasting ideas in the poem by using different rhythms.

Question1.
What is the central theme of the poem "Fire and Ice"?

Answer:

  • Destruction of the world: The poem reflects on two possible ways the world could end, either by fire or ice
  • Fire symbolizes desire: Frost connects fire to uncontrollable human emotions like greed, lust, and desire
  • Ice symbolizes hatred: Ice represents hatred, indifference, and coldness
  • Question2.
    What do "fire" and "ice" represent according to the poet?

    Answer:

    • Fire:
    • Represents strong emotions like passion, desire, and greed
    • It symbolizes human desire that can lead to the worlds end
    • Ice:
    • Stands for emotions like hatred, coldness, and indifference
    • It signifies the destruction caused by hate and rigidity
    Question3.
    How does Robert Frost convey the idea of destruction in the poem?

    Answer:

    • Fire: The poet believes that if the world ends in fire, it will be because of excessive desire and passion
    • Ice: Similarly, if the world perishes in ice, it will be due to hatred and indifference
    • Both emotions can be equally destructive, and either could be sufficient to bring about the end
    Question4.
    What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it enhance the poems message?

    Answer:

    • The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABA ABC BCB
    • The rhyme scheme adds a rhythmic flow to the poem, emphasizing the contrast between the destructive forces of fire and ice
    Question5.
    Why does the poet mention "if the world had to perish twice"?

    Answer:

    • The poet suggests that if the world were to be destroyed a second time, it could be done by ice
    • This line emphasizes that both desire (fire) and hate (ice) have the potential to bring about the destruction of the world
    Question6.
    What emotions does the poet connect to fire and ice?

    Answer:

    • Fire: Represents emotions like desire, greed, and passion, which can consume individuals and lead to destruction
    • Ice: Represents hatred, coldness, and indifference, which can also destroy relationships and, eventually, the world
    Question7.
    What is the poets conclusion regarding the end of the world?

    Answer:

    • The poet concludes that both fire and ice are powerful enough to cause destruction
    • He suggests that either desire or hate can be responsible for bringing the world to its end

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