Class 10 NCERT Solutions English Chapter 1 - Fire And Ice [Poem]
Fire And Ice [Poem] Exercise 15
Solution 1
This is a model answer just for reference. Students are free to answer this question based on their interpretation.
Yes, although it may not happen immediately, science tells us that the world might come to an end some day.
There are contrasting theories about the end of the world. Some say that even though the sun has used up about half its hydrogen fuel, it still has enough to last another 4 billion years. Others say that life on earth would end in 2.8 billion years.
If it gets too hot, all the water would evaporate, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would decrease, plants would die and ultimately life on earth would come to an end.
If it gets too cold, it would be impossible for life to exist. The extreme cold would hamper the life of plants and create a paucity of food. This in turn would cause the animals to starve. The cold conditions may also cause animals and humans to freeze to death.
Solution 2
Fire stands for greed, conflict, avarice, fury, cruelty, lust.
Ice stands for insensitivity, coldness, intolerance, indifference, rigidity, hatred.
Solution 3
The rhyming scheme of the poem is as follows:
1st stanza: a, b, a, a
2nd stanza: b, c, b, c, b
The rhyme scheme helps in bringing out the contrasting qualities of fire and ice in the poem. They are the probable ways in which the poet feels the world would end in general or for an individual.
A person could be consumed by a 'fiery desire' for wealth or be isolated by 'icy hatred'. Both the emotions are significant; one capable of rapid destruction while the other capable of silent damage.
Fire represents desire, which can cause malice and end the world. Ice represents hate and indifference, which would also suffice to cause the destruction of the earth.
