Fire and Ice

“[the cry of the cicada]” by Matsuo Basho

Matching “Fire and Ice” in both apocalyptic theme and brevity, “the cry of the cicada” comes to Western audiences from the Japanese tradition. The famous and highly anthologized Japanese poet Matsuo Basho composed the poem. Basho gained recognition for his use of haiku form, and he traveled, documenting his experiences in the haibun form. The poem’s brevity reflects the brevity of life. The poem’s speaker acknowledges that the end of the world is unknown and most likely will come when humanity least expects it. Humanity may not even find the signs of the end times in nature. The poem relies on natural imagery like cicadas, as well as their ignorance of their existence, to communicate the futility of existence.

“This is Not a Small Voice” by Sonia Sanchez (1995)

Drawing on the racial tensions in America, this Sonia Sanchez poem incorporates repetition in order to move not only the poem itself, but also its message. During the 1960s, Sanchez was an integrationist, but after following Malcolm X, Sanchez began approaching her poetry from a separatist point of view. Like the speaker in Frost’s “Fire and Ice,” the speaker of “This is Not a Small Voice” incorporates natural imagery and personal reflection to connect with the audience.