Poetry

Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. 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.

Robert Frost

1) In what way does the understatement at the end of the poem (lines 7-9) affect the overall tone? a) Creates a dismal tone b) A change in the author's preference c) Creates an ironic tone d) Shifts the poem to a happy ending e) All of the above

2) In line 4, "desire" is best understood to mean a) Affection b) Sex c) Lust d) Want e) Love

3) The speaker views destruction by fire as which of the following? a) A result of an innate human flaw b) Preferable to that of ice c) A much needed escape d) Inevitable e) An effective means of a mass holocaust

4) The primary contrast in the poem is between a) Good and Evil b) Desire and Hate c) Love and Hate d) Fire and Ice e) Destruction and Salvation

5) In line 8, "great" most nearly means a) Effective b) Powerful c) Preferable d) Extensive e) Fantastic

Answers

I had trouble creating good answers that weren't correct, but seemed correct. People (Emily) disliked a lot of my questions (what a heretic and a dissenter). Number 4 was described as "quality" and "interesting," most of which I think it was a compliment. A certain unnamed lady friend got upset at number 2 because "freaking no - any of those could have worked). Questions typically ranged the same as mine: a lot of distractors that convolute the question. My last question was said to be confusing; some answers choices could be changed to better reveal the correct answer.