Chapter 2: Fire and Ice

Important questions — the ones the board asked most (4)

1. Q1Short answer5 marksAsked: 2025

   Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b) : (a) Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire. (Fire and Ice) (i) The speaker offers evidence to support his preference for one theory over the other. Mention the evidence. (ii) What is the prediction of the poet about how the world will come to an end ? Answer in about 40 words. (iii) “Fire” and “Ice” are used in the poem as ________. (A) similes (B) metaphors (C) repetition (D) oxymorons (iv) Comment on the overall mood of the extract. OR (b) The leaves strain toward the glass small twigs stiff with exertion long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof like newly discharged patients half-dazed, moving to the clinic doors. (The Trees) (i) How does the comparison between the boughs and newly discharged patients contribute to the theme or message of the poem ? Answer in about 40 words. (ii) Complete the sentence with the appropriate option. The imagery and descriptions in the poem create a mood of ________. (A) satisfaction and elation (B) transition and uncertainty (C) confusion and chaos (D) pessimism and certainty (iii) Fill in the blank with one word. The stiff movement of the twigs in the above extract suggests the ________. (iv) Why does the poet describe the bough as ‘shuffling’ ?

2. Q2Case-based5 marksAsked: 2026

   Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two given : (A) Some say the world will end in fire some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire. (Stanza 1) But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. (Fire and Ice) I. Complete the following suitably : According to Robert Frost, fire refers to ________. II. Why does the poet believe both fire and ice can destroy the world equally ? III. Fill in the blank with one word : In the line "But if it has to perish twice", 'it' refers to the ________. IV. Select the option with same rhyme scheme as lines in Stanza 1 : OR (B) [passage] I. What is the most likely reason the poet uses the word 'nonplus' instead of confused ? II. Explain the irony in the last two lines of the stanza. III. Fill in the blank with one word : The word 'novice' signifies a/an ________ person.

3. Q3Case-based5 marksAsked: 2026

   I. Complete the following suitably : According to Robert Frost, fire refers to ________. 1 II. Why does the poet believe both fire and ice can destroy the world equally ? 2 III. Fill the blank with one word : In the line “But if it has to perish twice”, ‘it’ refers to the ________. 1 IV. Select the option with same rhyme scheme as lines in Stanza 1 : 1 (A) They are all gone away, The House is shut and still, There is nothing more to say. (B) Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! For the soul is dead that slumbers. (C) The dog chased the ball down the lane, He ran with such incredible speed, His tail was a blur, a joyful glee. (D) The Sun is high, The clouds drift past, In the blue sky which is so vast. OR (B) Though to distinguish beasts of prey A novice might nonplus, The crocodile you always may Tell from the Hyena thus : Hyenas come with merry smiles But if they weep they’re crocodiles. (How to tell Wild Animals)

4. Q4Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   In the poem ‘Fire and Ice’, how does the intense human emotion symbolised by fire, lead to the destruction of the world ?

   How the model answer begins

   1. In 'Fire and Ice', Robert Frost uses fire as a symbol of human desire — greed, lust, passion and the endless hunger for more.

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →

Questions parents and students ask

How many marks does "Fire and Ice" carry in CBSE Class 10 English?

In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 1 marks and about 0 questions a year; by marks it ranks 30 in English.

Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "Fire and Ice"?

The 4 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 4 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the AskMedha app.

Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?

Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.