Instructions

Read the poem below and answer the 2 associated questions:

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 know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Question 9

Which of the following statements will the poet agree with the MOST?

Solution

"Desire overpowers hatred to control humans.": This option says that desire is stronger than hatred and takes over people. But the poem doesn’t pick one as more substantial—it says both desire and hatred are equally bad and can destroy things. So, this option doesn’t match the poem.

"Ambition is more powerful than envy.": This option talks about ambition (wanting to achieve big things) and envy (being jealous), but the poem doesn’t mention either. Desire differs from ambition, so this option doesn’t belong to the poem.

"Both desire and hate can create self-doubt.": This says that desire and hatred make people unsure of themselves. But the poem isn’t about feeling unsure—it’s about how these things destroy the world. So, this option isn’t right.

"Hatred destroys what desire cannot.": This option suggests that hatred can break things that desire can’t. But the poem doesn’t compare them like that. It just says both can destroy the world, even if hatred might not be as strong as desire. Since it doesn’t say hatred does something desire can’t, this option doesn’t work.

"Greed can destroy one’s world.": This one says that greed, which happens when you want too much, can ruin everything. The poem agrees with this idea, especially in its third line, where it shows that too much desire turns into greed and leads to destruction. This fits the poem well.