What are some literary devices employed in the poem “Fire and Ice by Robert Frost?
mshurn Teacher College – Freshman eNotes Editor “Fire and Ice,” for all its brevity, develops a profound theme and raises intriguing questions in regard to human nature. The primary literary device in the poem is that of implied metaphor. Fire becomes a metaphor for human desire, which is made clear in the third line. Ice works as a metaphor for hatred, which is implied in line 6. Another literary device is that of antithesis. Fire is the antithesis of ice. In finding an underlying similarity in their metaphorical opposites, Frost develops his theme: Human desire, such as love or passion, can be just as destructive as human hatred. The theme suggests an irony inherent in human emotions.The first two lines of the poem are allusions to different scientific theories relating to the future of the planet within the solar system. In regard to its poetry techniques, “Fire and Ice” features an interlocking rhyme scheme and iambic meter. Also, alliteration is present in the poem (Some/say and f
