Fire is an interesting concept. Initially, fire was used by cavemen in order to cook food and keep warm during the harsh winters. It is considered by historians to be one of the most impactful inventions due to the fact that it helped greatly to advance and civilize medieval society. Today, fire is still used by many people to run their stoves, hence maintaining its initial purpose. In developing countries, fire is still used as the main resource for preparing food and heating homes as well. Fire is also used recreationaly for fireplaces, candles, incense, etc. However, despite fire's productivity, it also has a "dark side" per se. Within minutes, a raging inferno is capable of destroying an entire building. Every inch of carpet, every momento, every belonging, every memory--gone in the blink of an eye. Perhaps that goes to show a metaphor for many things in life. In any situatuion, there is more than one vantage point to be taken. Fire can be seen as a necessary facet of life, providing several accommodations required to sustain vitality. However on the flip side, some may see fire as a relentless monster, destroying everything it comes in contact with.
Determining whether or not fire is a good or evil entity is dependent entirely upon one's perspective. One who opposes fire may value its opposite, ice. However with ice we encounter another polar (no pun intended) situation. Lack of ice conducts that greenhouse gasses are too potent and hence global temperatures are increasing too much. However, too much ice would produce another ice age, blanketing all of Earth under a irreparable permafrost. The contrast of fire and ice brings me to the thought of a poem by Robert Frost that I had to memorize for the 1st Annual Dolvin Elementary Poetry Slam.
"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."
Hannah, this was very captivating. I really enjoyed how you played out the conventional and darker side of fire at the beginning, and ended with a small memory. I think it reflected the "polarity" that you were talking about in the post :)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting view of fire, hannah. i especially liked the joke thrown in there as well, i think it added not only a little humor but personality to the post :)
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you started off with the initial purposes of fire then steered it to relate to our everyday life. I really enjoyed the sentence 'Every inch of carpet, every momento, every belonging, every memory--gone in the blink of an eye'. The repetition of the word 'every' really emphasizes the meaning of the sentence.
ReplyDeleteThis post was really interesting to read. First you start off with the benefits the fire has had over the years, then you get kind of depressing and talk about how it can also destroy the important things we love. I also loved how you included the contrast between fire and ice, and also add a poem to go along with it. Overall, this post was awesome and extremely professional. Definitely AP worthy!
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