ACTIVITY 2.5 The Meaning of Imagery and Symbols

■Identify the imagery and symbols that writers use as a way to infer a writer’s purpose and interpret meaning. ■Write an interpretive statement about meaning in a text by analyzing and synthesizing information. LEARNING TARGETS

1. When you see the words “fire” and “ice,” what literal images come to mind? Brainstorm with your group a list of the ideas, objects, or events that you associate with these two words. BEFORE READING

2. Now, with a partner, make meaning of the common figurative associations as presented in the sentences below: –“Her icy stare let me know just how she felt.” –“He acted so cold to me that I knew he was still angry.” –“His face was red and flushed with the heat of his anger.” –“The fierce fire in her eyes made her attitude clear.” When images are used figuratively rather than literally, they are being used symbolically, that is, the image represents itself but also stands for something more abstract. What do the images of fire and ice represent or symbolize in the sentences above? BEFORE READING

3. Writers may use symbols to help readers recognize a theme. Now that you have discussed the literal associations and figurative associations of the words fire and ice, consider the title of the poem “Fire and Ice.” Think of the literal and figurative associations of these words, and predict what the poem will be about. DURING READING

4. First, read the poem silently. Pay close attention to the punctuation marks that signal ends of sentences. 5. With a partner, take turns reading the poem aloud to each other. Read the poem so that you stop only at the end of each sentence, not each line. 6. As your partner reads the poem to you, circle the words associated with the two major images. DURING READING

7. Using the words and phrases that you circled, discuss and analyze the purpose of the imagery and symbols in the poem with your partner. Annotate the text in the My Notes space. AFTER READING

Literal vs. Figurative Meaning Literal ■The fate of the world ■Two possibilities for the world’s destruction ■He holds (agrees) the world ending in fire ■If it had to perish twice…he says ice would be equally destructive and suffice (we good enough) Figurative ■He is talking about individuals ■Fire=passion/desire ■Ice=hate/indifference ■He has had experience with both desire and hate ■Too much fire and passion can ruin a person, while cold indifference and hate can be equally as destructive. Theme: Human emotions are destructive if allowed to run wild and unchecked. They can destroy a person mentally and physically. Emotions can also destroy entire countries and civilization itself. Ex: Adolph Hitler’s hate/indifference

Learning to write an interpretive statement is an important step toward learning how to communicate your understandings. As you analyze and synthesize information, you must learn how to put the ideas of text into your own words. In one sentence, state what the poem is about by answering this question: -What is Robert Frost saying about human emotions in “Fire and Ice”? You might use this sentence frame to guide your writing: In _______________, ______________ suggests that _______________________ (title of text) (author) (purpose/meaning/main idea) CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING