Abstract
‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ is one of the best poems ever written by Robert Frost. It comprises only eight lines yet hold a great deal of substance. It is a highly inspirational poem which exhibits excellent alliteration, metaphor, simile, assonance, consonance, rhyming and meter. Considered as one of the best English poems, it is worth analysing. This essay illuminates the various interesting elements and literary devices- mainly the rhyming, the word music through assonance, consonance and internal rhyming and finally the metaphors used to convey such a great meaning in ‘Nothing Can Stay Gold’. The first two elements namely rhyming and word music have been explained in the second paragraph. The third element namely metaphorical analysis has been accomplished in the third stanza. The poem is as follows:
“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.”
Introduction
“Nothing Gold Can Stay” was written by Robert Frost and published in his 1923 Volume named New Hampshire (Gioia, 2009). It is believed by a multitude of literary experts to be one of the best poems written in English. Alfred R. Ferguson (1973) quoted, “Perhaps no single poem more fully embodies the ambiguous balance between paradisiac good and the paradoxically more fruitful human good than "Nothing Gold Can Stay,”. A reader can find the statement by A.R Ferguson to be true after going through the emotions, structure and rhythm of the poem. Comprising only 8 lines, the poem is capable of explaining how capricious life is. There are evident changes which come with every new day, season and year. Nothing stays on top. Both in terms of literary structure and message conveyed, this poem is a great instance of brilliant poetry.
The Literary Elements
It is a remarkable short poem. It is very difficult to say so much in just eight lines with most of the words being monosyllabic. Rhyming: The rhyming scheme is aabbccdd- ending with gold and hold respectively in the first two lines, flower and hour in the third and fourth lines, leaf and grief in the next two lines and concluding with day and stay in the last two lines. Word Music: It is already having a rhythmic meter. The phrases like Nature’s first, her hardest, leaf’s a flower, only so, dawn goes down and Nothing gold exhibit brilliant employment of internal rhyming and assonance as well as consonance to impart a musical effect to the poem. The poem has so much of alliteration which improves its poetic quality. Especially in the second line ‘Her hardest hue to hold’ and the second last line ‘So dawn goes down to day’ have excellent alliteration in required amount- neither too more nor too less . When read aloud, its musical essence can be understood. The selection of word is brilliant and makes this poem simple yet elegant.
The great message through metaphors: A self-reflection
The poem metaphorically tells that change is the only constant. The very first line of this poem- “Nature's first green is gold” calls the newly born leaves to be golden, because of its initial hue as well as its significance. The very golden hue very swiftly changes to green as it loses its tenderness. So, the poet has described the golden hue to be hardest to hold. The third line- Her early leaf’s a flower- means that the first growth of greenery is a flower. The golden, soft and tender flower is shown to be a blossoming bloom for hardly half an hour in the very next line. The cycle of nature with respect to day, month, season and year has been embedded in these eight lines. But it’s not merely about seasons. It signifies how life changes. Good fate, health, happiness, success, riches and survival- these elements are capricious. We never know when one loses these. Nothing Gold Can Stay. Also, the one which is not golden right now shall be so one day.
The natural phenomenon of change has been depicted with descriptions of the soft golden hue of new leaves gradually disappearing as it grows. So, it becomes a leaf- so leaf subsides to leaf. Eden sinking to grief- this line signifies the pain attached to this change, the loss. The next line- so dawn goes down to day- says that no matter what the changes are or how sad we are with these unfavourable changes, this cycle- of day and night, darkness and light and death and life continues. Beauty, power, happiness, wealth and youth- we should not be proud of these ever. These are temporary. We have to accept that change is the only permanent.
Conclusion
The poem is a teacher which inspires us to respect life and accept the changes. It above all, inspires us to be humble. No Gold Can Stay but goodness of human nature. So, let there be no false pride or unnecessary moaning but reverence for the cycle of life.
ANALYSIS OF POETRY 5
References
1. Ferguson, A.R. 1973. "Frost and the Paradox of the Fortunate Fall." Frost: Centennial Essays. Modern American Poetry. University Press of Mississippi. Retrieved on 20 January, 2013 from http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/gold.htm
2. Gioia, D. 2009. “On Robert Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay””. Retrieved on 20 January, 2013 from http://www.danagioia.net/essays/efrost2.htm
