Listening for Intonation: Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Listen to three recordings of the poem "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost. Some differences in intonation come from the readers' interpretation of the poem, but basically, their intonation patterns are quite similar. These audio recordings are from the site LibriVox where you can listen to hundreds of audiobooks recorded by volunteers. The text of the poem is from Wikipedia article Fire and Ice (poem).

 

Прослушайте три аудиозаписи стихотворения "Fire and Ice" (Огонь и лед) Роберта Фроста. Некоторые различия в интонации происходят из интерпретации стихотворения чтецами, но в основном, их интонационные модели весьма похожи. Эти аудиозаписи с сайта LibriVox, где вы можете прослушать сотни аудиокниг, записанных добровольцами. Текст стихотворения из статьи Fire and Ice (poem) из Wikipedia.

 

Robert Frost

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.

 

Audio transcript for Audio 1, with intonation marked

'Fire and \ICE by 'Robert \FROST

('Read for 'librivox 'dot /org by E'lizabeth Mc\Andrew)

 

'Some 'say the 'world will 'end in \FIRE, ||

'Some 'say in \ICE. ||

From what 'I've 'tasted of de'sire |

I 'hold with 'those who 'favor \FIRE. ||

'But | if it had to 'perish 'TWICE |

I 'think I 'know e'nough of 'HATE |

To 'know that for de'struction 'ICE

Is \ALso 'great |

And would suf\FICE. ||

 

('End of \poem. 'This re'cording is in the 'public do\main.)

 

Audio transcript for Audio 2, with intonation marked

'Fire and \ICE by 'Robert /FROST

('Read for 'librivox 'dot /org by 'Alan \Drake)

 

\ /Some 'say the 'world will 'end in \FIRE, ||

'Some 'say in \ICE. ||

From what I've 'tasted of de\SIRE |

'I 'hold with 'those who 'favor \FIRE. ||

'But | if it had to 'perish \TWICE, |

I 'think I 'know e'nough of \HATE |

To 'know that for de/struction | 'ICE

Is \ALso 'great |

'And would suf\FICE. ||

 

('End of \poem. 'This re/cording is in the 'public do\main.)

 

Audio transcript for Audio 3, with intonation marked

'Fire and \ICE by 'Robert \FROST

('Read for 'librivox 'dot \org by 'Brian \John)

 

Some 'say the 'world will 'end in \ /FIRE, ||

Some 'say in \ICE. ||

From what I've 'tasted of de/SIRE |

I 'hold with 'those who 'favor \FIRE. ||

But if it had to 'perish /TWICE, |

I 'think I 'know e'nough of 'HATE |

To 'know that for de'struction 'ice

Is \ALso 'great |

And would suf\FICE. ||

 

Intonation marks used in this material:

'say - sentence stress on a content word;

'FIRE - stronger sentence stress on the main word of the thought group;

'But - emphatic stress;

\FIRE - falling intonation on the main word of the thought group or on the last stressed word of the sentence;

/TWICE - rising intonation on the main word of the thought group or on the last stressed word of the sentence;

\TWICE - high fall;

\ /Some, \ /FIRE - fall-rise;

de/struction - midlevel rise within a thought group;

| - short pause between thought groups or parts of the sentence;

|| - longer pause between sentences.