ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Answer: It is quite true the poem Cold Within is symbolic of lack of warmth and compassion in human relations. This lack exists at all levels: personal, family, social, etc. Most of the problems in the world exist because of this lack of warmth.

Detailed explanation-2: -By the phrase “the cold within” the poet means the coldness of the hearts-the lack of warm human spirits of the six persons who gathered around the dying fire in that winter evening. Though all of them possessed a log of wood, none agreed to give it to the fire to keep it burning and keep them warm.

Detailed explanation-3: -In the poem ‘The Cold Within’ the lack of warmth and compassion in human relationships is beautifully portrayed by the poet by telling a story of a group of six ‘humans’ who were trapped by happenstance in the unpleasant and biting cold around a dying fire.

Detailed explanation-4: -The poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost is a metaphor for human perceptions of desires and hatred. The fire symbolises burning desires, while the ice, on the other hand, describes ice-cold hatred.