In both cycles, there is a moment of achieving perfection, followed by a descent into a less-impressive quantity. The second type of cycle is in mythical form, with the image of Eden, which is symbolic of humankind. Firstly is the cycle of nature throughout the year, as shown by the seasons. Here we see that the clever Robert Frost is depicting three kinds of cycles in his poem. The truth of this statement becomes clear at line six when the image of Eden is presented to the surprise of the reader. From the perspective of nature alone, this reasoning certainly makes sense as seasons turn and the blossoming comes and goes, with leaves lasting longer than the flowers.īut, there is a deeper meaning in this poem than how nature behaves in the world. Of course, the poet chose the words in this line well as he suggests with the repetition of the word “leaf” that the leaf was not meant to stay as a gold-colored flower but instead to return to its leaf form. The leaves turn from green to gold in Victoria, BC, and elsewhere. Once the flowering ends, after only an hour, “Then leaf subsides to leaf.” The last four lines of “Nothing Gold Can Stay” explain what happens after nature’s departure from gold. Notice that it does so exactly halfway through the poem. However, this blossoming is short in length, as explained by the fourth line, “But only so an hour.” This line is where the beautiful scene of flourishing nature takes a turn. He explains that the leaf turns from green to gold as it blooms. As Frost writes, “Her early leaf’s a flower,” with “Her” meaning Mother Nature.
The first four lines describe the flourishing of a leaf. The beginning image is the start of spring when nature is first blossoming from the earth. It is tempting to characterize Robert Frost’s creation as a nature poem, and you would not be wrong in doing so, but it is so much more. At first glance, the poem is simple, yet it steeps deep with imagery. While there are no words beyond two syllables in this poem, and the majority of them are monosyllabic, when taken together the lines have the ability to bring about strong emotions in readers. Summary and Imagery in ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ The First Half “Nothing Gold Can Stay” has only 40 words and uses simple words, but many messages exist within it.
Other poets that are masterful at the short poem format, which requires the writer to be concise and evoke imagery in few words, include Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Other short poems in the volume New Hampshire included “Dust of Snow” and “Fire and Ice.” Perhaps even more amazing is that the American poet went on to win three more Pulitzer Prizes during his lifetime, in 1931, 1937, and 1943! He lived from 1874-1963.Īt the time that “Nothing Gold Can Stay” first published, Frost was 48 years old.
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