Storm Fear and Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

THE WORLD OF ROBERT FROST Name: Course Title: Instructor’s Name: Date: Storm Fear and Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Robert Frost is a known poet who has authored and published many poems in his lifetime. His works have been criticized and analyzed, and the critics and analysts have been giving their views from varied theoretical perspectives. The theories have ranged from purely physical and relatively simplistic definitions to broader perspectives such as psychological, sociological and religious angles. One of the poems Storm Fear was first published in A Boy’s Will book by Henry Holt and Company publishers in 1915. The poem describes a literal scene where a young farmer with his young family of three is facing an awful storm. As the storm intensifies and the snow continues building, they are unable to sleep, and the fire is dying which was supposedly supposed to keep them warm. As the ordeal continues, the young man is unsure if his family will make it to the morning if they do not get help. The main theme in the poem is the power nature has over humans and the place of humans in the natural order. It also highlights our weaknesses and strength in the face of natural forces and how our unity and ingenuity can help us survive. It also highlights how an individuals’ mindset can be influenced by uncertainty and the environment he/she is integral of. In the second poem, Fire and Ice which was published in 1920 is relatively short (nine lines) than Storm Fear. Frost fronts the idea that the world will end someday and he imagines what will cause its end. First, he describes the end of the world through the fire which he equates to desire. Alternatively, he suggests that the world can end by ice, which he equates to hate. In each of the cases described by Frost in the poem, he insinuates that they are very probable. Some analysts argue that Frost’s infusion of desire and hate as probable causes of the end of the world was drawn from a conversation, he had with an astronomer who told him that the world would end if the sun exploded or it cooled down, and the earth slowly froze. Frost with his mastery of imagery connected the apocalypse to human emotions and the poem argues that desire and hate can potentially bring the end of the world. One of the main themes in the poem is the choices humanity has. If it is driven by desire, it will ultimately lead to the destruction of the planet. If hate takes precedence, it will still lead to the demise of the planet. The poem also enwraps the inevitability of destiny in a fear theme. A fear innuendo is described the inescapable destiny of the planet and the results of extreme human emotion. The tone of the Storm Fear is that of darkness and despair. The cold weather, the thought of dying in the house if they do not get external help, the dying fire which was an important source of energy and hopes to weather the extreme conditions outside and the vivid description and animating of the wind in the face of the persona bring out a desolate moment. The poem ends in hopelessness as the description of the outside weather conditions rages on. Some critics have suggested that the poem is a metaphor for depression. Robert Frost was known to suffer from depression, and therefore this poem could have ...