analysis of "fire and ice" by Robert Frost

CHAPTER I
DEFINITION THE ELEMENTS OF POETRY

A. CONOTATIVE AND DENOTATIVE MEANING
1. Connotative Meaning
Connotative meaning in poetry refers to associations that are connected to a certain word or the emotional suggestions related to that word. A connotation is a subjective cultural and/or emotional coloration in addition to the explicit or dennotative meaning of any specific word or phrase in a language. Connotation is created when you mean something else, something that might be initially hidden.
2. Denotative Meaning
Denotative meaning means is strick, literal, definition of a word devoid of any emotions, attitude or color (Wikipedia). Denotation refers to the literal of a word, the “dictionary definition attempts to provide. For the art historian Erwin Panofsky, the denotation of a representional visual image is what all viewers from any culture and at many time would recognize the image as depicting ( Panofsky 1970a, 51-3). According to Walden, denotative in semiotics sometimes regarded as a digital code.
They have function to enrich meaning, because of the imbiguity and multpicity of meaning.

B. KINDS OF POETRY
1. Narrative Poems
Narrative poem is a poem whose details are organized chronologically has a narrative progression.
Such a poem tells a story and it may have some of the features of a story. In other words, it may have a rising action in which a conflict develops, a climx in which the conflict takes a turn, and falling action in which the conflict reaches a conclusion.
The most obvious examples of narrative progression occur in folk or poppular ballads.
 Ballad poem is a poem that tells a story similar to a folk tale or legend and often has repeated refrain.
A ballads is often about love and often sung.

2. Expository Poems
Expository poem is any arrangement by means of which a poet exposes his ideas and feelings.
One kind of expository progression is a movement from ignorance at the beginning of the poem to knowledge at the end. If a poem expresses a feeling, that feeling will be less vague at the end; if it describes a scene, the scene will be more vivid in reader’s mind.
The most obvious examples of expository progression occur in:
a. Lyric
Lyric poem is a poem that expresses the thoughts and feelings to the poet.
b. Ode
Ode poem is lenghty lyric poem typically of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanza structure.
c. Elegy
Elegy poem is a sad and thoughtful poem about the death of an individual.

3. Descriptive Poems
Descriptive poem is a poem presented in an arrangement of pictorial details or images.

4. Argumentative Poems
Argumentative poem is when a poet presents a proposition and then gives reasons to defend it.
The most obvious examples of argumntative progression occur in sonnet.
Sonnet poem are:
a. English (or Shakespearean)
b. Italian (or Petrarchan)

C. IMAGERY
Imagery in poetry has function to activate the visual, auditary, olfactory, kinestetic, and gustatory of the readers.

D. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Figurative language uses "figures of speech" - a way of saying something other than the literal meaning of the words. Here are kinds of figurative language:
1. Metaphor A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things essentially unalike.
2. Simile A figure of speech in which a comparison is expressed by the specific use of a word or phrase such as: like, as, than, seems or Frost's favorite "as if,"
Examples:
Mending Wall: like an old-stone savage armed
Stars: like some snow-white/ Minerva's snow-white marble eyes
Going for Water: We ran as if to meet the moon ---- we paused / like gnomes
Birches: Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair
3. Symbol A thing (could be an object, person, situation or action) which stands for something else more abstract.
4. Personification A type of metaphor in which distinct human qualities, e.g., honesty, emotion, volition, etc., are attributed to an animal, object or idea.
5. Apostrophe A figure of speech in which someone absent or dead OR something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present.
6. Synecdoche A figure of speech which mentions a part of something to suggest the whole.
Examples:
Fire and Ice: The heat of love and the cold of hate are seen as having cataclysmic power.
7. Metonymy A figure of speech that uses a concept closely related to the thing actually meant. The substitution makes the analogy more vivid and meaningful.
8. Allegory or Parable A poem in the form of a narrative or story that has a second meaning beneath the surface one
9. Paradox A statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements, but on closer inspection may be true.
Examples:
Fire and Ice:"But if it had to perish twice"
10. Hyperbole A bold, deliberate overstatement not intended to be taken literally, it is used as a means of emphasizing the truth of a statement.
11. Understatement The presentation of a thing with underemphasis in order to achieve a greater effect.
Examples:
Fire and Ice: Ice, which for destruction is great, "will suffice."
12. Irony Verbal irony is a figure of speech when an expression used is the opposite of the thought in the speaker's mind, thus conveying a meaning that contradicts the literal definition. Dramatic irony is a literary or theatrical device of having a character utter words which the the reader or audience understands to have a different meaning, but of which the character himself is unaware. Irony of situation is when a situation occurs which is quite the reverse of what one might have expected


E. TONE
The tone of a poem is roughly equivalent to the mood it creates in the reader. Much depends on interpretation, of course, but the play will give the actor clues about the tone just as a poem gives its readers clues about how to feel about it. Tone is not in any way divorced from the other elements of poetry; it is directly dependent on them.

























CHAPTER II
ANALYZING “FIRE AND ICE” POEM BY ROBERT FROST

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.

By Robert Frost (1874-1963) (Poem first published in Harper's Magazine, December issue 1920)

1. Connotative and Denotative Meaning of “Fire and Ice” Poem.
a. Connotative meaning
Some : the astronom, knowledge people
World : life
End : the doomsday
Fire : desire, aim, emotion, love
Ice : hate
Tasted : have ever done, know
Hold : choose
Those : the people who choose fire
Suffice : make people believe enough,
Destruction : death


b. Denotative meaning
World : the Earth and the people, place, and things on it.
End : stop, finish,
Fire : the state of burning that produce flames which send out heat and light, and might produce smoke
Ice : water which has frozen and become solid, or pieces of this.
Hold : take or keep something in your hand or arms.
Perish :to die, especially an accident being killed by, or be destroyed.
Suffice : to be enough.
Destruction: when something destroy
Destroy : to damage something so badly that it does not exist and cn not be used.
Taste : put food or drink in your mouth to find out what flavour it has

The poems meaning is also communicated by the denotations and connotations of words. The poet uses words that mean or suggest passion/consumption, knowledge/experience and death/destruction. Passion and consumption are suggested by the words “fire,” “desire,” and “taste.” The words “some say” represent knowledge of a group of people; while the first person “I know” suggests personal experience. “End,” “fire,” “ice,” “perish” and “destruction” all denote death and destruction.

2. Kind of “Fire and Ice” Poem.
“Fire and Ice” poem is included in expository poem. It tells about how the world ends. The author, Robert Frost, explain the two possibilities which can make all living things in this earth come to an end. The possibilities are fire and ice, which have contrast differences. He tells that he choose the way of world end by the fire with, because he had taste the destruction of fire. The fire efers to the desire of love, ambition, emotion, etc. While the ice refers to hate, and other bad things. He also tells the power of ice that also destructive. If he got second chance to taste the end of the world, he would know know enough of hate, because the world would be destroy by the ice.
All in Fire and Ice poem is explained by Robert Frost, about the taste, about the process of destruction, and so on. So, it is included in expository poem.

3. Imagery
The speaker utilizes images to help emphasize a person’s feelings in a relationship. The first image of fire is used both in the title and twice in the poem. Fire, when uncontrolled, viciously consumes all around it, wanting more and more as it grows. In a relationship, this fire can be set off in an instant. Desire, or jealousy, can occur in a relationship, and consequently can consume an individual until there is nothing left to burn. The second image of ice is also used in the title and twice in the poem. In Dante’s Infernal, the freezing temperatures of hell attempt to drive the life out of a person (Serio 1). Similarly, hate forces the other person away, driving the life out of a relationship. When left uncontrolled, these darker emotions can bring about the end of a relationship.

4. Figurative Language
Fire is directly equated with desire, the kind that kindles antagonism and conflict. The symbolism of fire, along with the denotations and connotations, further add to the meaning of the poem. Another use of symbolism is through the use of the word “ice.” Ice represents hate. Finally, the poet uses “the world” as a symbol for a relationship. All of these symbols help to tie together the poem by making desire and hate feelings felt in a relationship.
In addition to the use of symbols, the poet also uses understatements to add to the tone.The poem ends with the line “And would suffice” which oversimplifies the meaning that has been created. By using this line, the poet emphasizes the harm of desire and hate in a relationship.
Frost is using synecdoche The heat of love and the cold of hate are seen as having cataclysmic power. The heat is figured in fire, while the cold is figured in ice. By using these two words, he can show us the differences between them, that both fire and ice are have great energy to destroy the world and all living creature in it.
Lastly, paradox is used in the line: “But if I had to perish twice”. While a person is unable to die two times, the line is used figuratively to demonstrate that desire is equally as harmful as hate.

5. Tone
Tone in Fire and Ice can be read as readers’ tone in different interpretation. But base on this poem analysis, reader should read Fire and Ice poem in scared tone, or just in usual state, not scared, not angry, not happy. If readers read it with happy tone, by all means it is not appropriate. But, if readers read it with tone like if we explain something, or scaring someone olse, it maybe appropriate. Sad expression is also appropriate, because the readers think about the way he will die, or see the world end in pity condition, wether it is by fire, or by ice. The two powers can make a great doomsday for world, and all living creature in earth.
In reading sentence “But if it had to perish twice”, readers can also express happines, but not much, because in that sentence, seems like get second chance to taste the end of the world, or even the life. And after that, readers can express sadness or scare again.
It is back to readers’ interpretation. But of course in this poem, not appropriate for us to express happines or read the poem by laughing, because it is not tells about funny thing.