1. “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost
Analyzing Author’s Use of Symbolism to Create Meaning

2. What comes to mind when you see this picture?
See Think
Flowers, green grass, blue sky spring
Spring: allergies, pollen, baseball, DST, bees
Birth, renewal, hope, rejuvenation

3. What comes to mind when you see this picture?
See Think
Palm tree, clear ocean water, sand, blue sky summer
Summer: vacation, music, sunburn, summer school, baseball
LEISURE, TIME, ADVENTURE, ENJOYMENT, EXPLORATION, LIFE

4. What comes to mind when you see this picture?
See Think
ORANGE, RED, YELLOW LEAVES fall
Fall: pumpkin spice, Halloween, football, baseball, school
RETURN TO ORDER, PREPARATION, SLOW DOWN, DECLINE

5. What comes to mind when you see this picture?
See Think
Snow, gray, red berries Winter
WINTER: snow, Christmas, winter vacation, family, cold
WINTER : desolation, isolation, hardship, endurance

6. What comes to mind when you see this picture?
Warmth
Destruction
Light
Consume

7. What comes to mind when you see this picture?
Cold
Barren
Frozen
Unfeeling

8. Symbolism
Symbolism is taking something that represents itself AND something else
Authors use symbolism to create meaning
They do this by making connections between the objects, the audience’s understanding, and the point they’re trying to make with the text.

9. Close Reading: “Fire and Ice”
Review “key ideas and details” and “craft and structure” questions.
Complete “working from the text” questions.
Write a thesis for a style analysis.

10. Close Reading: “Fire and Ice”
Review “key ideas and details” & “craft and structure” questions.
What is the central idea of the poem?
Which details convey the central idea?
What human emotions does the author associate with the elements of fire and ice?
What impact do these associations have on the poem’s tone?
In line 3, the author says “I’ve tasted of desire.” Is this statement literal or figurative? Why?

11. Close Reading: “Fire and Ice”
Complete “working from the text” questions.
Read the poem again silently. Pay close attention to the punctuation marks that signal ends of sentences.
With a partner, take turns reading the poem aloud to each other. Read the poem so that you only stop at the end of each sentence, not each line.
As your partner reads the poem to you, circle the words associated with the two major images.
Using the words and phrases that you circled, discuss and analyze the purpose of the imagery and symbols in the poem.

12. Close Reading: “Fire and Ice”
Write a thesis for a style analysis.
Prompt: Explain how the author, Robert Frost, uses imagery and symbolism to convey meaning and purpose in his writing.
Thesis frame: In (title of text), (author) conveys that (main idea). He does this by using the symbolism of (symbols) to create (effect on audience).

13. Close Reading: “Fire and Ice”
Write a thesis for a style analysis.
Prompt: Explain how the author, Robert Frost, uses imagery and symbolism to convey meaning and purpose in his writing.
Thesis frame: In “Fire and Ice,” Robert Frost conveys that the world could end with either title element. He does this by using the symbolism of overwhelming fire and unfeeling ice to create a description of the equally destructive nature of the contrasting elements.