I-POETRY

1. IMAGERY AND MUSICAL DEVICES
IN ROBERT FROST’S
FIRE AND ICE
Nadia Mutiara R 13020114120028

2. ABSTRACT
In this paper, the writer tries to analyze a poem, entitled Fire
and Ice by Robert Lee Frost. The purpose is to understand
the meaning of the poem and to analyzed the imagery and
musical devices in this poem. Theories that used are
textual, cotextual, and hypertextual by close reading
method. It could be conclude that imagery and musical
devices are the important elements stated in this poem.
Keywords: Robert Frost, imagery, musical devices

3. 1. INTRODUCTION
According to William Flint Thrall and Addison
Hibbard that had been revised and enlarge by C.
Hugh Holman in A Handbook To Literature
(1960: 364), "Poetry is applied to the many forms
in which man has given a rhytmic exppression to
his most imaginative and intense preseptions of
his world, himself, and the interrelationship of
the two.”
Poetry improves critical thinking by forcing a
reader to think. Poetry is not just the emotional
expression of the poets. In poem, poets try to
express ides or feeling. The author use this poem
to be analyzed, although simple in meaning,
contains some of literary elements.

4. 2. Methodology
 To analyze the imagery in the poem
 To analyze the musical devices in the poem
3. Research object
The objects of research are sorted into a material
and formal object.

5. The poet
Robert Lee Frost was born in San Francisco, California,
to journalist William Prescott Frost, Jr., and Isabelle
Moodie. His mother was of Scottish descent, and his
father descended from Nicholas Frost of Tiverton,
Devon, England, who had sailed to New Hampshire in
1634 on the Wolfrana. After his father's death in May 5,
1885, in due time the family moved across the country to
Lawrence, Massachusetts under the patronage of
(Robert's grandfather) William Frost, Sr., who was an
overseer at a New England mill. Frost graduated from
Lawrence High School in 1892. Frost was 86 when he
spoke and performed a reading of his poetry at the
inauguration of President John F. Kennedy on January
20, 1961. Some two years later, on January 29, 1963, he
died, in Boston, of complications from prostate surgery.
He was buried at the Old Bennington Cemetery in
Bennington, Vermont. He is surmising the fate of the
world what would cause it to end. He likens the causes to
the imperfections in human nature, and not just plain
physics. He dwells on two causes that are believed to
end the world - fire or ice. Here, fire is symbolic of
human desire or passion, and ice is symbolic of hatred.

6. THE POEM
Fire and Ice
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
Robert Frost (1874-1938)

7. imagery
Stanza 1 line 1
Some say the world will end in fire,
This line contains two imageries. The visual imagery here can encourage the readers to think
that when they see fire it seems like very terrible thing. Meanwhile the tactile imagery
makes the readers feel that fire is very very hot and dangerous.
Stanza 1 line 2
Some say in ice.
The visual imagery with the word ice makes the readers imagine that ice is a very horrible
thing too. The tactile imagery makes the readers feel that ice will make them freezing.
Stanza 1 line 3
From what I've tasted of desire
The line contains gustatory imagery because the readers asked to tasted the desire in this
poem that probably Forst tasted.

8. Stanza 1 line 6
I think I know enough of hate
Organic imagery can be found in this line in the word hate because hate comes naturall
from someone's heart.
Stanza 1 line 7
To say that for destruction ice
This line proposes kinesthetic imagery because the readers can assume the word say do a
movement or tension about the destruction of ice is also great.

9. Musical Devices
A. Rhyme
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire, A
Some say in ice. B
From what I've tasted of desire A
I hold with those who favor fire. A
But if it had to perish twice, B
I think I know enough of hate C
To say that for destruction ice B
Is also great C
And would suffice B

10. REFRAIN
Because this poem only has one stanza, so the pattern of this poem is
ABAABCBCB. Therefore the poem is consider to have refrain in it.

11. symbolism
Symbolism is literary device that contains several layers of meaning. Symbolism can take different
forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is
much deeper and more significant. Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by
someone may have a symbolic value.
Stanza 1 line 1 and 2
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
Stanza 1 line 3 and 4
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
Stanza 1 line 6 and 9
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice

12. conclusion
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost is an amazingly beautiful poem about the
end of the day whether the world will end in fire or in ice. There are
only nine simply worded lines that somehow manage to be both
meaningful and cruel. The author explains two sides, good and evil, fire
and ice with just the right amount of rhyme. He uses vocabulary that is
seemingly light, but makes the words feel dark and heavy to the readers.
At this point in the poem the author asks what he would do if he had the
chance to start over, Frost makes it clear that he wishes he could “perish
twice” or try again. In knowing “enough of hate” Frost figured out that
there is another choice, that ice is also a great way to go. With the help
of imagery and symbol analysis, it makes Fire and Ice an incredible
work of literary art.