Transcript Robert Frost- Nothing Gold Can Stay

Robert Frost- Nothing Gold Can Stay
• 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.
Robert Frost
• Born on March 26, 1874. He spent the first 12
years of his life in San Francisco.
His life was filled with tragedy:
• his father died in 1885 when Robert was just 11
• his mother died of cancer in 1900
• In 1920, Frost had to commit his younger sister to a
mental hospital, where she died nine years later
• His wife died in 1938
• His son committed suicide in 1940 at the age of 38
• two of his 6 children died before the age of 8
• only 2 of his children outlived him
 It
has been said that "Frost's best work
explores fundamental questions of
existence, depicting with chilling
starkness the loneliness of the individual
in an indifferent universe."
 He wrote about how man is alone and
frail when compared to the vastness of
the universe and how humans are
limited.
 This idea of mankind’s isolation, frailty and
limitations is clearly expressed in “Nothing
Gold can Stay.”
 It is not surprising that a writer who has
been so personally impacted by death
chooses to explore the fragility, and
brevity, of life in his writing.
Devices which impact the piece:
Rhyme- the poem is written in paired lines. Each pair of lines contains an
idea that, when isolated, contributes to the overall theme of the poem that
beauty cannot last. The use of rhyme in this way subtly “isolates” each of
the ideas into “stages” and contributes to the theme that life has stages.
Rhythm- the “beat” created by having 6-7 syllables per line adds a consistent
pace to the piece and links the pairs of lines together. The “isolated” ideas
presented in each rhyming pair are therefore linked together by using this
rhythm.
Allusion- by referring to “Eden” the reader is given the association of the
idea of “paradise lost”. Frost, in one short line, reminds us of the tale of
a land filled with perfection, and beauty, until sin was discovered, and
then the beauty was lost. Through the use of allusion, Frost reinforces
the idea that this “loss” of beauty is eternal.
Devices which impact the piece:
Metaphor- the first line of “Nature’s first green is gold” compares the
beginning of life (when someone/something is “green” it is new) with
something that is of great value and beauty. This sets up the theme of
the poem which is that life starts off full of beauty, but that beauty will
not last. The line “So dawn goes down to day” is also a metaphor
comparing the passing of time during a day with the passing of a lifetime.
This reinforces the idea that time stops for no one and we are all mortal.
Alliteration- the 2nd line contains repetition of the soft “h” sound. This is
a pleasing, soft sound that Frost uses to “soften up” the reader to the
idea of lost beauty. He suggests in the line that while beauty is hard to
hold, it just might last…there is a tiny glimmer of hope here and the soft
“h” sound gently presents this hope. In contrast, the 7th line contains a
repetition of the hard “D” sound which hammers home the harsh reality
that we are all destined to lose our beauty/we are mortal. The harsh
sound of the “D” pounds home this point.
How the poem “speaks to me”
 When I was first exposed to this poem, I saw it as
a depressing and bleak look at man’s mortality. I
liked it though.
 It spoke to me because WE ARE mortal. WE DO
lose our beauty (and I see the beauty presented in
this poem as our physical beauty, our overall
strength and health, as well as our innocence).
 I see this loss of “beauty” in myself as I age and
cannot do the same things I could when I was
young. I see this loss of “beauty” every time I
look in the mirror and find another gray hair or
wrinkle. I see this most vividly in my sister whose
life has been stolen by MS.
 While the poem can be said to be dreary, I have
over the years come to see this poem in a positive
light.
 I see it as a reminder that I need to appreciate
life. I need to embrace each day because it won’t
last.
 The birth of my children (who are still “gold” and
have not been tainted by age, or experiences that
have stolen their innocence) changed my
perspective on what is important in life.
 Though I still enjoy a lazy day doing “nothing”, I
see the value of each day in a new way. I need to
live life and enjoy the moments, because “dawn
goes down to day” and “nothing gold can stay.”
» 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.
» http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hha8E2whF
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