EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices, Class 10

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost has the rhyme scheme ABAABCBCB, using only three rhyme sounds. Its main devices are symbolism (fire for desire, ice for hate), repetition of Some say, alliteration, understatement in the closing lines and a calm, conversational tone. Together they turn a question about the world's end into a warning about human emotions.

Notice that the scheme ABAABCBCB uses only three rhyme sounds, and fire and ice both come back as rhyme words, tying the two dangers together.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices

The poem in brief. Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what the speaker has tasted of desire, he holds with those who favour fire. But if it had to perish twice, he knows enough of hate to say that ice is also great for destruction and would suffice.

Rhyme scheme: ABAABCBCB. The end words are fire, ice, desire, fire, twice, hate, ice, great, suffice. The sounds fire/desire/fire make A, ice/twice/ice/suffice make B, and hate/great make C. Only three sounds are used, and fire and ice both return as rhyme words. This tight pattern holds the two forces together, as if they were two sides of the same danger.

Symbolism. Fire stands for desire: greed, lust and fury that spread quickly and are hard to control. Ice stands for hate: coldness, cruelty and indifference that freeze people apart. The poem is therefore about human nature more than about science.

Repetition (anaphora). Some say is repeated at the start of the first two lines to set two opinions side by side, like two sides of a debate.

Alliteration. The repeated s and f sounds, as in Some say and favour fire, give the lines rhythm and stress key words.

Understatement and irony. Calling destruction great and saying ice would suffice sounds mild, but the calm tone makes the idea of the world ending more chilling.

Enjambment. The sentence runs over the line in To say that for destruction ice / Is also great, so the ending slows and the short last lines land with weight.

Tone. The tone is conversational, reflective and calm, with quiet irony, which contrasts with the grim subject.

Structure. The poem has nine lines in a single stanza, with lines of uneven length.

How to answer. Name the device, quote the line, and say its effect. Always give the effect.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

Some say the world will end in fire
Poet: Opening line.
Repetition of Some say sets up two opposite views.
From what I've tasted of desire
Poet: Giving his own view.
Tasted shows personal experience; fire symbolises desire.
Is also great And would suffice.
Poet: Closing lines.
Understatement that makes the warning chilling.

Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices: key facts

Rhyme scheme: A: fire, desire, fire
B: ice, twice, ice, suffice
C: hate, great
Pattern: ABAABCBCB; Nine lines, three rhyme sounds.
Symbols: Fire: desire, greed, lust, fury | Ice: hate, coldness, cruelty, indifference; Two destructive emotions.
Devices and examples: Repetition Some say
Alliteration Some say, favour fire
Understatement great and would suffice
Enjambment ice / Is also great; Name, quote and effect.
Tone: Conversational
Reflective
Calm with quiet irony; Contrasts with the grim idea.

Repetition	Some say
Alliteration	Some say, favour fire
Understatement	great and would suffice
Enjambment	ice / Is also great

How to answer Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices questions

Use this for questions on the rhyme scheme, devices or the effect of a line.

1Name the device (for example symbolism or alliteration).
2Quote the exact words from the poem.
3State the effect on meaning or sound.
4For rhyme, list the end words and letter them in order.
5Link the device to the central idea of desire and hate.

Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Fire and ice among friends

Suppose two friends fall out over a game. One shouts and throws things in anger, while the other stops talking and walks past silently for weeks.

Which behaviour is like fire and which like ice, and which is worse?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Shouting and anger burn quickly, like fire.
Silence and cold avoidance freeze the friendship, like ice.
Either can destroy the bond.

Answer: The shouting is fire and the cold silence is ice. Both are destructive; the poem says either would be enough.

Memory hook: Fire burns quickly; ice kills slowly.

Tricks to remember Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

A-B-A-A-B-C-B-C-B
Say fire, ice, desire, fire, twice, hate, ice, great, suffice and letter them.
Use it when: To write the rhyme scheme without error.
S-R-A-U-E-T
Symbolism, Repetition, Alliteration, Understatement, Enjambment, Tone.
Use it when: The six devices of the poem.
Fire is desire; ice is hate
Match each element with its emotion.
Use it when: For all symbolism questions.

Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Rhyme scheme · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The rhyme scheme of Fire and Ice is
(a) ABABABABA (b) AABBCCDDE (c) ABAABCBCB (d) ABCABCABC

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Fire, ice, desire, fire, twice, hate, ice, great, suffice give ABAABCBCB (1 mark).

Answer: (c)

Example 2: Symbol of fire · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

What does fire stand for in the poem? Answer in 30-40 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Fire stands for desire (1).
Greed, lust and fury that spread quickly (1).

Answer: Fire stands for desire, which includes greed, lust and fury. These feelings spread like flames and are hard to control, so they can destroy everything. The poet speaks from what he has tasted of desire, which shows personal experience.

Example 3: Understatement · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Identify the device in 'Is also great / And would suffice' and explain its effect. Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Understatement (1).
Mild words for terrible destruction (1).
Calm tone makes it chilling (1).

Answer: The device is understatement. Saying that ice is also great for destruction and would suffice uses mild words for the end of the world. The calm tone makes the idea more chilling, since it suggests that hate alone is enough to destroy everything and nothing more is required.

Example 4: Why only three rhymes · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

How does the rhyme scheme support the idea of the poem? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

ABAABCBCB: three sounds only (1).
Fire and ice return as rhymes (1).
Joins two opposite forces (1).

Answer: The scheme ABAABCBCB uses only three rhyme sounds, and the words fire and ice themselves return as rhymes. This tight pattern links the two forces together, suggesting that desire and hate are equally dangerous and connected. The rhymes bind the poem into a compact whole, like its message.

Example 5: Form and meaning · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Show how Frost uses symbol, tone and structure to turn a question about the end of the world into a comment on human nature, in 100-120 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Symbol: fire and ice (2).
Tone and understatement (2).
Structure and rhyme (1).
Expression (1).

Answer: Frost begins with a scientific question, how the world will end, but quickly makes fire and ice symbols of desire and hate. The speaker supports fire because he has tasted desire, which makes the opinion personal. Then he says ice would also suffice, and the calm, understated tone makes the warning more chilling than a loud one would. The repetition of Some say sets out the debate clearly. The rhyme scheme ABAABCBCB, with only three sounds and with fire and ice returning, holds the two forces together. Through these devices the poem suggests that human emotions, not nature, are the real threat to the world.

Where students lose marks in Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Writing the rhyme scheme wrongly
Mixing up the end words changes the letters.
Wrong working
ABABCDCDE
Right working
ABAABCBCB: fire, ice, desire, fire, twice, hate, ice, great, suffice.
Do this: List the end words first.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Naming a device without its effect
Board answers need the effect.
Wrong working
It is understatement.
Right working
It is understatement; the mild words make the idea of destruction more chilling.
Do this: Name, quote, effect.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks of 3.
Mistake: Reversing the symbols
Fire is desire and ice is hate.
Wrong working
Ice stands for desire and fire for hate.
Right working
Fire stands for desire; ice stands for hate.
Do this: Say 'fire is desire'.
Usually costs: 2 marks.
Mistake: Taking the poem as science
It is about human nature.
Wrong working
The poet predicts that the world will end by fire.
Right working
The poet uses fire and ice to discuss desire and hate.
Do this: Always mention symbolism.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.

Exam tips

Write the rhyme scheme as ABAABCBCB and list the end words.
For each device give: name, quoted words, effect.
Link fire to desire and ice to hate in every answer.
Mention the calm tone when you discuss understatement.
End with the central idea about human nature.

Practice questions on Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of these is an example of alliteration in the poem?
(a) I hold with those (b) Favour fire (c) And would suffice (d) From what I've tasted
Hint
Repeated consonant sound at the start of words.
Answer
(b)
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
What does the speaker mean by saying he has tasted desire? Answer in 30-40 words.
Hint
Personal experience.
Answer
He means that he knows desire from his own experience, not from books. The word tasted turns the feeling into something he has felt. This is why he agrees with those who say the world will end in fire.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why does the poet say ice would also suffice? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Hate as destruction.
Answer
The poet says that he knows enough about hate to see that it too can destroy the world. Ice stands for hate, which is cold, cruel and indifferent and freezes human relations. If the world had to perish a second time, hate would be enough, without any other cause.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How does the repetition of 'Some say' help the poem? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Two opinions side by side.
Answer
Repeating Some say at the start of the first two lines sets out two opposite opinions clearly, like two sides of a debate. It creates a balanced opening, makes the poem sound like casual conversation, and prepares the reader for the speaker's own choice in the following lines.
Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
A student says fire and ice are only about the weather. Respond, using devices from the poem, in 100-120 words.
Hint
Symbolism and personal experience.
Answer
The student's view is too literal. The poem is built on symbolism, not weather. The speaker says he has tasted desire and knows enough of hate, which are human feelings, so fire stands for desire and ice for hate. Frost presents a debate about the world's end, but his answer is about emotions that destroy people and societies. Fire spreads quickly like greed or fury; ice freezes relationships like cruelty and indifference. The understated ending and the rhyme scheme, where fire and ice return, show that both are equally dangerous. Reading the poem as a weather forecast would miss its warning about human nature.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who wrote Fire and Ice?Show answer
Robert Frost.
2.What is the rhyme scheme?Show answer
ABAABCBCB.
3.What does fire symbolise?Show answer
Desire.
4.What does ice symbolise?Show answer
Hate.
5.Which phrase is repeated at the start?Show answer
Some say.
6.What is the tone of the poem?Show answer
Conversational, reflective and calmly ironic.

Fire and Ice: Rhyme Scheme and Poetic Devices: frequently asked questions

How many rhyme sounds are in the poem?

Three: fire, ice and hate.

What is the main device in Fire and Ice?

Symbolism: fire and ice stand for desire and hate.

Why is the ending called understatement?

It uses mild words, is also great and would suffice, for the world's destruction.

Which questions come from this topic?

Extract questions on devices, 40-50 word answers on symbolism and a long answer on theme.