Fire and Ice Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Seriously, now, which superpower would win in a no-holds-barred grudge match between fire and ice?
  2. How many different ways can you think of that these two forces could actually destroy the world?
  3. What other elemental forces or passions do you think might rival, or at least compare, with the destructive power of fire and ice?
  4. How would describe the speaker's worldview? Is it pessimistic, realistic, just indifferent?
  5. Do you think the extremes of fire and ice could exist in a person at the same time?
  6. We've got a pretty good handled on what it means to "taste" desire, but what do you think it means to "know enough of hate"? How much of hate is "enough," and what kinds of life experiences could give someone this knowledge?
  7. Do you think this is a poem that only could have been written in the 20th century? Why or why not?