ENG125: Introduction to Literature
Instructor Jennifer Miller
February 13, 1013
Reading “Nothing Can Stay Gold” by Robert Frost I saw that he utilized end rhymes, symbols, imagery, religious grander of illusion and metaphors. Nature’s first sprout of life is as pure as gold. “Nature’s first green is gold” means that when she is young and naïve but innocent at the same time. “Her hardest hue to hold” means that the young girl is now starting to see what this world has to offer. “Her early leaf’s a flower” means that she is as pure as a flower , which represents beauty and care. “But only so an hour.” Means that you can have that innocence but for so long. “Then leaf subsides to leaf “means that she is finally seeing or understanding who she is in her reflection as she contemplates about life. “So Eden sank to grief” means that what was once there is no longer because like gold, it tarnished. “So dawn goes down to day” means that today is now old like gold and tomorrow is someone or something new. “Nothing gold can stay” means that we should treasure our life’s memories forever because we cannot get it back.
In a nutshell, someone that is great or pure as gold cannot stay for a long time. One must treasure the golden moments because we might not get it back. Memories can and do last a lifetime. The golden memories can continue to live in one’s heart. Life is a cycle, and like in any cycle there is a beginning of innocence and an ending of repercussions. There was a sincere message and ironic aspects of nature’s expressions. Filled with countless literary elements; end rhymes, symbolism, religious grander of illusions, imagery and metaphor help readers like myself identify with the poem.
In the sixth stanza, imagery came about, “So Eden sank to grief”, the public knowledge, precise observation, and faith. As it says in the Noble Qur’an about the disobedience of Adam and Eve falling into their own desires “And O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise and eat thereof as you both wish, but approach not this tree, otherwise you will be among the Zalimun (Criminals and wrongdoers.) (The Noble Qur’an, Surat 7, Al-Araf, Ayat 19) “ The devil whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said “ Your lord did not forbid you this tree except that you should become angels or become of the immortals” ( The Noble Qur’an, Surat 7, Al-Araf, Ayat 20)
In conclusion, this poem may have been short but I got a lot out of it. I have been reading Robert Frost poems ever since I was in high school and it seems like every poem that I have read, it goes with my life. This poem had very sentimental value to me and my life and that is what interested me about this poem.
References: 1. Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature[->0]. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. 2. The Noble Qur’an
[->0] - http://outboundsso.next.ecollege.com/default/launch.ed?ssoType=CDMS&redirectUrl=https://content.ashford.edu/ssologin?bookcode=AUENG125.10.2
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