Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost
10 November 2012
Illuminating the poem:
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.
So leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
The essence of poetry does not necessarily depend on the number of lines, complexity of phrases and sophistication of words chosen. If the phrases are inspirational or pleasant, only a few lines with simple words can suffice to create beautiful poetry. The famous poem titled Nothing Gold Can Stay bears testimony to this fact. Written by Robert Frost in 1923, it comprises only eight lines, each with five to six words. The simple monosyllabic and disyllabic words present a poignant example of how uncomplicated phrases can convey an appealing imagery along with a strong message. This short essay illuminates the structure, literary elements and message conveyed by ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’.
Nothing Can Stay Gold is one of the poems from the Pulitzer Prize winning collection called ‘’New Hampshire’. The most striking feature of this poem is the sheer simplicity which has been used to convey a powerful phenomenon. In the first read, it might seem a poem on nature. But as the lines are carefully perceived, it emerges out as a simple and efficient expression of a philosophy.
The Literary Analysis: Meaning
It is remarkable how Frost has depicted the emergence of new leaves to be golden in the very first line of this poem- Nature's first green is gold. The poet has described the hue to be hardest to hold which represents a Universal truth which shows how fast the green leaf grows. The third line- Her early leaf’s a flower- means that the first vegetation or growth of greenery is a flower. Golden, soft and tender, it signifies to be a flower. And the very next line indicates that the blossoming bloom is a matter of hardly half an hour. One can infer that life is similar. We don’t know for how long a happy and peaceful phase in life would continue.
The last four lines exhibit the natural phenomenon of change. The soft golden hue of new leaves gradually disappear as it grows, making it look like a green leaf- so leaf subsides to leaf. The pain of such a change from happiness to gloom is indicated by the Eden sinking to grief. The next line- so dawn goes down to day- preaches that no matter what the changes are or if the Eden in imbued in grief, the cycle of day and night continues. The seemingly soft-toned poem on nature is a very deep analysis of life in eight simple lines. Beauty, power, happiness, wealth and youth are not here to stay forever. These do alter with time and we have to accept that change is the only permanent. The succinct phrasing with a wise message through natural images makes the poem appealing and inspirational.
Literary devices
As pointed out earlier as well, the simplicity of its structure and depth of the message underneath makes Nothing Gold Can Stay a remarkable poetic accomplishment. Evidently, it has 5 words in every line except in the last two lines. The rhyming scheme is aabbccdd- gold/hold, flower/hour, leaf/grief and day/stay. The internal rhyming and assonance as well as consonance have been used very subtly to add music to the poem with phrases like Nature’s first, her hardest, leaf’s a flower, only so, dawn goes down and Nothing gold. The poem is sprinkled over with alliteration which enhances the tenor along with poetic appeal, especially in the second line ‘Her hardest hue to hold’. The meter is also noteworthy which provides a rhythm to the poem.
The imagery used in the poem is significant. The phrases which insinuate a natural phenomenon very poignantly carry a philosophical message underneath. The emergence of new leaf denotes beauty, riches and youth. It passes through different stages and finally turns old. Time is unstoppable and so are the changes it brings. The most crisp and unsophisticated sentences have been composed to give an insight into life. The second line is probably one of its best lines in every respect- Her hardest hue to hold. It signifies how the golden how of beauty, riches and youth is so difficult to sustain. It states in simplest words the law of nature- we cannot hold time. The alliteration and consonance create a musical essence.
Conclusion
Nothing Gold Can Stay is a poem to admire and learn for. The sheer simplicity of words encases a deep meaning for us to delve into. Robert Frost has excelled in explaining wisdom in selected sentences very efficiently and beautifully. Nothing Gold Can Stay but this golden instance of poetry at its best shall stay forever as one of the best short works ever.
