Analysis Of Nothing Gold Can Stay

In Frost’s poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay, he describes the characteristics of nature and the history of human failure and suffering. Through paradox, metaphor, and imagery/detail, he supports a message that some things, specifically beautiful or perfect things, will come to an end. Overall the tone/mood of the poem is sorrowful because Frost explains how good things fade away over time.
Frost supports his message by using the literary device of paradox. He introduces the poem with a paradoxical phrase when he says, “Nature’s first green is gold,” Green symbolizes the first mark of spring. Although green is not similar to gold, the “first green” represents the golden and precious presence Frost describes throughout his poem. Another example of paradox is when Frost says, “Her early leaf’s a flower.” A leaf and a flower are two different things, but Frost explains the special characteristics the leaf has to be considered a flower. This phrase also symbolizes the development of the plant’s appearance. The last paradoxical phrase is when Frost says, “So dawn goes down to day.” This line

explains how dawn is provisional according to human experiences, but it is also incomplete and evanescent. Therefore, Frost uses the literary device of paradox to support his message.
The literary device of metaphor is another way Frost uses to further support his message.

An example of a metaphor is when Frost says, “But only so an hour,” Each hour passed, the good things in nature fade away. This metaphorical phrase supports his main message because nothing can last forever and changes every hour of the day. Another metaphorical phrase included in the poem is when Frost says, “So dawn goes down to day.” Dawn doesn’t actually go “down to day”, but it rises up to become day. Last metaphor Frost includes is when he states, “Nature’s first green is gold,” Frost compares the characteristics of the color green and metal gold. Nature begins with a delightful color during the first days of spring. The “first green” expresses how golden nature is as a whole during the spring season. Thus, Frost further supports his message by using metaphorical phrases throughout his

poem.
Finally, Frost uses the literary device of imagery/ detail to support his message. An example of imagery is when he says, “So Eden sank to grief,” Frost illustrates the garden of Eden and includes detail about how it sank due to disobedience. Another imagery phrase in Nothing Gold Can Stay is when Frost states, “Then leaf subsides to leaf.” Frost depicts the leaf’s appearance and how it subsides into a simple leaf. The special characteristics of the leaf diminishes from time and turns out to become basic. The last example of imagery is when Frost declares, “Her early leaf’s a flower” Frost illustrates the leaf’s appearance is considered a flower because of its special functions. Therefore, Frost uses imagery/ detail to support his message that beautiful and perfect things won’t last forever.
In this poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost, Frost’s message relates to my life in some way. There were many moments in my life that I thought would last forever, but they suddenly diminished away from me. Although it was hard to think about, there was no other choice but to keep moving forward. Therefore, Frost’s message supports my life in a variety of ways and that nothing in life can last forever.