Poetry Analysis
The poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost is an invented form of an irregular interweaving three rhyme pattern. It is a two line length poem forming nine lines with each line ending with “-ire, -ate or “ate” rhyme. The poem has got line containing either four or eight syllables in an iambic nature. The poem combines humor, forthrightness, detachment, fury and a reserve in an airtight package. He has used all the syllables to portray a particular meaning and has thus avoided wastage of syllables. The truth employed in the poem is ambiguous and the questions employed are not answered.
The word “frost” in the first two lines creates a clear dichotomy between the words “fire” and “ice”. It also includes the people who believe in the elements fire and ice. The use of “some” instead of “I” the poet asserts that the distinction between the elements is an ultimate truth. It is not only an idea brought up by an individual. Additionally, the contradiction brought about by the use of “fire” and “ice” also outlines the claim that the world will one day end as a result of either item named. He does not exactly bring out what will destroy the earth but it significantly notes that fire and ice are the only options.
The language used in the poem is simple, but the soaring looses the soaring anticlimax in the final two lines. The lines draw their soft kill power from rhymes and juxtaposition of their short to create the tension needed for the perfect letdown of “fire and ice”. With only nine lines, the poem depicts a brilliant Frost’s concisely of ironic literary style.
The second poem by Edgar Guest is a poem following a certain disposition. It is a three stanza poem consisting of eight lines each. Despite this, it has no distinct number of syllables in each line. The numbers of syllables vary in all the lines found in each stanza. In stanza one there is rhyme scheme where certain sounds have been repeated in adjacent lines. The sounds here include sounds in words such as, “money and sunny,” “another and other” and “extended and unbefriended.” This pattern follows in the second and last stanza where sounds have been also repeated. Edgar has used simple language that is understood in the context of friendship. It has not used ambiguous nor sayings that need deeper analysis. The lines flow into one another in a simple manner and base their concern on a simple idea of friendship.
The poet talks about what being a good friend entail. He describes different qualities of a good friend and discourages the qualities that are not associated with being the good friend. For example, he says that to be a friend does not necessarily mean that one must have money. One should only employ his natural disposition of kindness. We should have in us the will to help other people and always be the one to give and not expect to be given back. The second stanza complements friendship and that one does not have to focus on own glory but should just play simple even when they have all they want in life. It advises that we should not focus on other’s errors but we should appreciate efforts made by our friends. Appreciation helps others to focus on their positive attributes and all in all we should always lend a shoulder to a friend. Even though we cannot see the benefits of being a friend, we should expect greater benefits than what clever but unfriendly people receive. Friendship is the best attribute of people.
