Apocalyptic Imagery in Robert Frost’s “Fire & Ice” and “The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.”

Abstract

Human beings are considered as a dangerous species in the whole world because they are the only species that destroys their own kind. They have become the end of the world through ecological degradation, nuclear weapons and unchecked advancements in technologies creating great concern for global catastrophe and a possibility for great delusion of an apocalypse. The very idea evokes a sense of fear and guilt in each and every one of us. In short, the current scenario is seen as a man-made tragedy. In Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice”, destruction of the world is portrayed as consequences of human emotions, especially desire and hatred. The destruction caused by war and violence created by human desire and hatred. Frost uses elements like fire and ice to describe the destruction of the world. Frost uses fire as a symbol of human desire and ice as a symbol of coldness of hatred. It also implies that destruction is not only caused by external forces but rather by man’s internal flaws. The poem’s detached tone indicates that the end of the world is not just possible but an inevitable event due to human nature.“The Second Coming of Jesus Christ” described in biblical context, portrays the destruction of the world to divinely judge the righteousness from unrighteousness. It is not just destruction, whereas it’s a cleansing ritual of the pure to separate the evil and good to purify the world. The second coming offers hope and redemption. The evil are judged and the good are promised eternal life and to create a new world and new heaven. In this perspective, the destruction is both an end and a new beginning. This paper explores comparative study of the poem “Fire and Ice” and “The Second Coming of Jesus Christ” using elemental symbols.