Listening for Intonation: Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Fire and Ice Audio 1 (AmE)

Fire and Ice Audio 2 (AmE)

Fire and Ice Audio 3 (BrE)

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, and you can also hear some differences between American and British intonation, but basically, intonation patterns in these recordings are quite similar. These audio recordings are from the site LibriVox where you can listen to hundreds of audio books recorded by volunteers. The text of the poem is from Wikipedia article Fire and Ice (poem).

Прослушайте три аудиозаписи стихотворения "Fire and Ice" Роберта Фроста. Некоторые различия в интонации происходят из интерпретации стихотворения чтецами, и также можно услышать некоторые различия между американской и британской интонацией, но в основном, интонационные модели в этих аудиозаписях 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.

"Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost

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.

Text of Audio 1 (AmE), 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.)

Text of Audio 2 (AmE), 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.)

Text of Audio 3 (BrE), with intonation marked

'Fire and \ICE by 'Robert \FROST

('Read for 'librivox 'dot \org by 'Cori \Samuel.)

\ /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'cor/ding is in the 'public do\main.)

Intonation marks used in this material

'say – sentence stress on a content word;

'FIRE – stronger sentence stress on the main word of the sense group (thought group);

'But – emphatic stress;

\FIRE – falling tone on the main word of the sense group or on the last stressed word of the sentence;

/FIRE – rising tone on the main word of the sense group or on the last stressed word of the sentence;

\ /Some – fall-rise;

de/struction – mid-level rise within a sense group;

\TWICE – high fall on the main word of the sense group;

| – short pause between sense groups or parts of the sentence;

|| – longer pause between sentences.