Lyric Poem · Life

Fire and Ice

by Robert Frost · 1920

Reading room

1Some say the world will end in fire,

2Some say in ice.

3From what I've tasted of desire

4I hold with those who favor fire.

5But if it had to perish twice,

6I think I know enough of hate

7To know that for destruction ice

8Is also great,

9And would suffice.

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“Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost — quilloak.com/poems/fire-and-ice

Quick facts

Poem: Fire and Ice
Poet: Robert Frost
Published: 1920
Length: 9 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Short Poems
Themes: Life, Short

Craft notes

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Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 9 lines · one 9-line stanza
End rhyme: ABAABCBCD.

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the cited edition and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: Robert Frost1874–1963
Source record: WikisourceFire and Ice by robert-frost, Wikisource transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: 1920
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 25e5a4fd33a94bd2…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Short Poems Life Short

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