Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert
Frost contains the simple message that everything good comes to an end. Gold is
extremely valuable and “nature’s first green” is said to be gold in the
metaphor on the first line. Nature is
personified using “her”, leading me to believe that people’s early childhood or
children in general are “gold”. In other words, they are innocent at the start
of life. However, they are easily contaminated by negative aspects of the world
around them. This interpretation makes the poem seem somewhat bleak. For, the
last line, “nothing gold can stay” suggests that childhood is only a period of
time and one will grow out of it and become not-pure, losing the innocence and
value they once had. Line two’s alliteration of the letter “h” emphasizes just
how hard it is for nature to hold on to the golden hue. The rhyme scheme is a simple aa bb cc dd. This
simple and rhythmic rhyme pattern contrasts the sad tone.
Frost alludes
to the biblical reference of Eden, saying it “sank to grief”. The Eden is
supposed to be a perfect paradise but Eve eats the forbidden fruit and it “sank
to grief”. This allusion in this poem
could suggest what the powers of man and his innate greed create of the world.
That as a result of our greed, good things don’t last. This isn’t surprising,
for when we like something we end to exploit it until there is none left.
Modern da examples extend to oil and natural resources. It can also be
interpreted as currency and with inflation the value of money is ever changing.
Therefor, “nothing gold can stay”.
Though I interpreted
this poem in a few ways, I think my first interpretation is the most accurate. The
other two seem more creative approaches and may not necessarily be true.
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