Poetry Analysis “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost as quoted in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Chapter five

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

Paraphrase Choose a line from the poem that stands out to you. What do you think it means? Record your thoughts on the post-it. Share your thoughts with your table partner.

Connotation Go beyond the literal meaning of the poem. Analyze the words and phrases for their “hidden meaning.” Take notes on your handout as we look at words, phrases, and lines for hidden meanings. Your notes can be on the poem itself or under the “Connotation” section. You may need more room, so feel free to use scratch paper and attach it to the handout.

Line 1 “Nature’s first green is gold,” So what does this mean? Green represents the first mark of spring, the assurance (or guarantee) of life. Yet, Robert Frost is referring to the New England forests, which he lived by. These forests are not green, but actually a delicate haze of gold. Hence green is a theory or sign (symbol) of spring; gold is the fact (what actually happens). Gold, precious and permanent as a metal, is here not considered as a metal but as a color.

Line 2 “Her hardest hue to hold.” So what does this mean? The hue of gold, with all its value associations of richness and color, cannot be preserved.

Lines 3, 4, and 5 “Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf.” So what does this mean? The early leaf unfolds in beauty, but despite its appearance, it is a leaf instead of a flower. The leaf exists in a disguise only for a minute, but then becomes its true self.

Line 6 “So Eden sank to grief,” So what does this mean? This is the third analogy of the poem: 1st: Green to gold 2nd: Flower to leaf 3rd: Eden to grief Frost is continuously trying to show us that it is natural to transform (change); yet each change involves a seeming diminution (decrease, reduction), a fall. Eden refers to “Garden of Eden” in Genesis of the Bible, the paradise where Adam and Eve lived until they were cast out (often referred to as “the Fall” – see LitProf!)

Line 7 “So dawn goes down to day.” So what does this mean? The fall is really no fall to be mourned-dawn is tentative, lovely, but incomplete . Day comes up-satisfying warmth of sunlight and full life.

Line 8 “Nothing gold can stay.” So what does this mean? Frost sums up all the analogies by taking us back to the initial analogy of green is gold. Essentially, he is saying that we start off innocent and pure, but this is only temporary. We eventually go through a “fall” and lose our innocence. This change is not a bad change, because this loss is natural. The loss of innocence leads to a more complete and fulfilling life.

Theme Take what you know from lines 1-8 and sum up the message of this poem. What is it trying to teach you? Possible Answer: The poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” teaches us that though we start off life as beautiful, innocent, and pure beings, we eventually must change. This change is natural, but it may require that they fall down a bit, before we can get back up. Once we do get back up, we have lost our innocence, but gained a more complete and fulfilling life. This is essentially a coming of age poem, about the process of growing up.

Connection to the Text: Why do you think Ponyboy and Johnny’s situation in chapter 5 prompted Ponyboy’s recitation of “Nothing Gold Can Stay?” Answer on the handout individually, then share with a partner. Possible Answer: “Nothing Gold Can Stay” offers Ponyboy and Johnny a way to understand their lives; it gives the boys a framework for the traumatic events of their story. The poem likens to the inevitable loss of innocence that the boys experience to the wilting of flowers. Johnny and Ponyboy acknowledge that this loss of innocence is unavoidable.

2nd Connection to the Text: Why do you think Johnny told Ponyboy to “stay gold”? Find the page in the book, and write out a thoughtful answer with text evidence from Outsiders AND from “Nothing Gold Can Stay”. Possible Answer: “.