Gujarat Board GSEB Class 10 English Textbook Solutions First Flight Poem 2 Fire and Ice Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.

Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 10 English First Flight Poem 2 Fire and Ice

GSEB Class 10 English Fire and Ice Text Book Questions and Answers

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 got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?
Answer:
Yes, I believe that this world will end some day; but when, nobody knows. Whether the sun gets hot and bursts, or it grows colder s and colder-in both of these situations, end of ? this world is sure.

Question 2.
for Frost, what do ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice.’ stand for ? Here are some ideas:
greed, avarice, cruelty, lust , conflict, fury, intolerance, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference, hatred
Answer:
‘Fire’ stands for: greed, avarice, lust, conflict, fury, intolerance
‘Ice’ stands for: cruelty, rigidity, insensitivity, coldness, indifference, hatred

Question 3.
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem ‘Fire and Ice9 ? 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. The two contrasting ideas ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ are aptly supported by the rhyme scheme of the poem as different letters of the alphabet carry different ideas expressed in the poem.

GSEB Class 10 English Fire and Ice Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the following stanzas carefully and answer the questions given below them:
Question 1.
Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire.
Questions:
(1) What is The poet’s opinion about the world ?
(2) What is the contradictory opinion of public ?
(3) How are ice and fire similar to each other though they have contradictory traits ?
Answer:
(1) According to the poet, the world will end in fire.
(2) The contradictory opinion of public is the debate whether the world will end in fire or ice.
(3) Both ice and fire are similar in the sense that both of them would destroy everything in the world.

Question 2.
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.
Questions:
(1) What does ‘it’ refers to in the first line ?
(2) What does ice stand for ?
(3) What would be the cause of destruction ?
Answer:
(1) ‘It’ refers to the world.
(2) Ice stands for coldness.
(3) Ice or fire would be the cause of destruction.

Choose the correct figures of speech used in the following lines:

Question 1.
‘Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice’. (August 20)
A. Repetition
B. Metaphor
C. Antithesis
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’
Answer:
D. Both ‘A’ and ‘B’

Question 2.
‘I hold with those who favour fire’.
A. Alliteration
B. Assonance
C. Euphemism
D. Both ‘A’and ‘B’
Answer:
D. Both ‘A’and ‘B’

Question 3.
‘But if it had to perish twice’.
A. Paradox
B. Euphemism
C. Metaphor
D. Antithesis
Answere:
A. Paradox

Answer the following questions in s three to four sentences each:

Question 1.
What afe the two popular views in the society regarding the destruction of the world ?
Answer:
The poem deals with the age-old belief about how the world will come to an end. Some believe that the world will end in fire but to others, it will end in ice. It is shown in the poem that each of them has potential energy to bring about the destruction of the world.

Question 2.
What do ‘Fire9 and ‘Ice9 stand for?
Answer:
In the present poem ‘Fire’ is associated with greed, cruelty and lust, whereas ‘Ice’ is associated with rigidity, hatred, coldness and indifference.

Question 3.
How does the use of language help in making the poem effective and meaningful ?
Answer:
Frost chooses words from the everyday talk. The poem is full of colloquial tone and conversational language. The contrast between simple and precise vocabulary and the vague gravity of its subjects makes the poem serious and meaningful. The abrupt beginning of the opening sets the tone of the speech and makes the poem vivid and lively.

Question 4.
“But if it had to perish twice”. Why does the poet use ‘if’ in the above quotation ?
Answer:
Nobody knows whether the world will end in fire or in ice. But the idea of the destruction of the world twice is somewhat complicated. The poet does not believe that s the world will end twice. That’s why the poet expresses his suspicion by using the term ‘if’.

Question 5.
Comment on the ending of the poem.
Answer:
The ending of the poem implies that s ice has also the power to bring about the destruction of the world. So we should not bother about the matter that which one of the i two (Fire and Ice) is stronger rather, we should keep in mind that both of them have destructive power. We should not’ ignore the potential power of ice which is equally harmful.

Question 6.
“I think I know enough of hate”. ?
What does the speaker know about hate ?
Answer:
The speaker in the above line says that he knows enough of hate but we are not told he has first-hand knowledge about haje or he experiences it at a distance. But the poet’s intuitive power reminds him it is no less dangerous than the fire of lust. It can also play a trick upon anybody as it is a silent killer.

Question 7.
How does Robert Frost caution the S common man ?
Answer:
Man is selfish, avaricious, lustful, indifferent and hateful. Robert Frost cautions the common man and says that he should not forget the bitter reality that everything in this jj world is transitory and death is inevitable.

Question 8.
Why does the poet hold with those who ‘favour fire9 ?
Answer:
The poet takes side with those who s believe that the world will be destroyed by > fire. Frost connects fire with desire. According to the poet, desire is powerful and would be a s quick end. Moreover, the fact that he has had ? personal experience with desire leads him to < first conclude that the world will end in fire.

Question 9.
Write the sum and substance of the ; poem ‘Fire and Ice9.
Answer:
The crystal clear message that the poet is trying to give is that nothing in this S world is eternal. Everything will perish either in fire or ice. We should, thus, not forget this S supreme reality and keep ourselves above all selfish matters.

Question 10.
To say that for destruction ‘Ice9 is also great for the poet, what does ‘Ice9 stand for ? How is it sufficient to bring destruction ?
Answer:
‘Ice’ symbolises hatred. Hate is just as powerful as desire. While desire consumes quickly, hate can occur and linger in people’s minds and hearts for years and sometimes even lifetimes. Hate consumes the hater perhaps even more than the person or group hated and it can ruin lives. Hate can, thus, be very destructive and sufficient to bring destruction.

Question 11.
‘But if it had to perish twice9. How will the world perish twice ?
Answer:
According to the poet, the world will end due to the ‘Fire’, which symbolises desire. But if the world had to end twice’then it will be due to the hatred symbolised by ‘Ice’. The poet feels that there is enough hatred in the world that is spreading among the people. This hatred will end the world one day.

Answer the following question in five, to six sentences each:

Question 1.
The poet presents two reasons which will lead to the destruction of the humanity. What values do you garner from the two possible causes provided by him ?
Answer:
The poet provides and deals with two possible causes for the end of the world. He points more towards the emotional and sentimental side of the issue. As for him, fire denotes deep passion and burning desire, while ice is highlighted for its icy cold and hatred side of the emotions. He favours both the arguments and says that either the deep burning passion or the cold hatred and jealousy factor will push the people to walk on the path of destruction. The poet is sure of this destruction of humanity.

He first talks about the destruction because of fire and in case this fails, then ice will end the world. The love that people have for one another will turn into hatred. In race of climbing up and outdo one another, people will tend to hate each other. These negative emotions will become so strong that it will surpass all the love and lead to the destruction of humanity.

Fire and Ice Summary in English

Fire and Ice Introduction:
Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 -January 29, 1963) was an American poet. He is well known for his realistic writings of rural life and his use of American informal (slang) speech. His poems were often set in rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, and used these settings to look at complex social and philosophical themes. Frost has often been quoted by other people. He was honoured often during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry. He wrote many popular and oft-quoted poems including ‘After Apple-Picking’, ‘The Road Not Taken’, ‘Home Burial’ and ‘Mending Wall’.

Fire and Ice Summary:
The speaker brings us into the middle of an argument between people who think the world will come to a fiery end and people who think the world will freeze. He could be talking about the literal end of the world, but he’s also talking about the power that human beings have to harm or ‘destroy’ one another.

The speaker’s experience with romantic desire has taught him that passionate or ‘hot’ emotions like love and lust would probably have the power to turn the earth into a big fireball. But he has also experienced the other extreme, and he knows that colder emotions like hate have great destructive power. Love gets all the publicity, but hate is the silent killer. It may not have the same grandeur as the fireball ending, but it’ll do the trick.