“Twilight: Eclipse” Poem and Music

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” begins with a famous poem, recited by Bella, “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.

It’s a good poem to set the stage for this story, as Bella is torn between two people who are more than human, Edward, a vampire, whose physical temperature is cooler than the average human’s 98.6 degrees, and Jacob, a shape-shifter who is part of a wolf pack, whose temperature is so warm he never has to wear a shirt (and who is only half-joking when he refers to himself as “hot”). At one point in the movie, Bella is so cold she is shivering, and Edward has to accept that only Jacob can give her the heat she needs — by holding her in his arms.

The poem’s themes of the warmth and heat of desire versus the iciness of hatred are also explored in the movie. Bella loves both Edward and Jacob and they are both passionately devoted to her. They must protect her from enemies who are fueled by frozen emotions like revenge and the need for power.

And listen to this beautiful Debussy piece, “Clair de Lune” (Moonlight), played in the film. It is the third and most famous movement of his Suite Bergamasque. It also inspired the movie “Frankie and Johnny” with Michele Pfeiffer and Al Pacino.