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.
Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b):
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-14 11:17 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) The speaker's personal experience of desire (passion/craving) serves as evidence. He says "From what I've tasted of desire," meaning intense desire feels like consuming fire, so he supports the fire theory.
(ii) The poet predicts the world will end in fire, caused by human desire and greed. However, he also acknowledges that if the world were to end twice, ice — symbolising hatred and indifference — would be equally destructive and sufficient to bring about destruction.
(iii) (B) Metaphors
(iv) The overall mood of the extract is reflective yet grim/dark. The speaker calmly contemplates the destruction of the world, using a detached, matter-of-fact tone that makes the idea of the world's end feel inevitable and unsettling.
Source: "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost, First Flight (Poem 2)
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Explanation
- (i) The key phrase is "tasted of desire" — this is the speaker's personal evidence. One line is enough for 1 mark.
- (ii) For 2 marks (~40 words), cover both fire (desire) and ice (hate) as predicted causes, even though the extract shows only the first stanza. The poem is the source.
- (iii) Fire = desire, Ice = hate — these are metaphors (indirect comparisons without "like/as"). This is a direct concept question.
- (iv) "Reflective and grim" captures the calm yet dark contemplation. Avoid vague words like "sad" — be precise.