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Nothing gold can stay by robert frost paraphrase
Nothing gold can stay by robert frost paraphrase
Nothing gold can stay by robert frost paraphrase
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The poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” means that nothing good can stay, in other words, you won’t always have that goodness and innocence within you. The poem begins when you are first born, which is when you are gold, innocent and pure of heart, but as you mature you commence to make dreadful decisions. As you continue making bad decisions your gold begins to dwindle because you are no longer pure of heart, for you have now committed several sins. These sins include being rude and disrespectful, having envy of others and much more dreadful decisions one may take. Essentially being the meaning of the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”.
Ponyboy now fully comprehends what the meaning of the poem is. You can see this when Johnny says to Ponyboy “Stay gold,
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Ponyboy, stay gold” as to where he is referring to Ponyboy to continue being innocent. On the other hand Johnny fully understood the poem even before he died and you can see this when he tells Ponyboy “Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold”. Signifying that he was trying to tell Pony to stay innocent and pure of heart just like how the poem stated it. Also, Johnny after he is told about the poem by Ponyboy he states “Where’d you learn that? That was what I meant.” telling you that he understood the poem because that was what he meant in the first place to say. This would essentially be what both Ponyboy and Johnny believe the poem means. When Johnny told Ponyboy to ‘stay gold’ he did it to tell Ponyboy to remain pure of heart and innocent like he always has been.
Just like how that is the meaning in the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” as to where a person is to soon make dreadful decisions and have his/her ‘gold’ go away at one time. Johnny also tells Pony to stay gold because he does not want him to commit any wrong actions and decisions because that will prevent him from being the kind and innocent person that he is. By having previous knowledge, Johnny also does not want Ponyboy to commit bad decision and then have to pay for them like how he did when he killed Bob; he was forced to run away. Being the reason for which Johnny told Ponyboy to ‘stay …show more content…
gold’. I believe that nothing gold can stay for various reasons.
First, at one point in life you will come across a time where you will feel angry and have the need to express that anger in words or actions like when having a discussion with someone. In other times you may make horrible and devastating decisions that can hurt you or another person. No one can remain pure of heart and gold forever, it does not matter how hard you try. In Ponyboy’s case, I don’t believe he will stay gold like Johnny advised him to before his death. Since, the fact that he still has to support Darry and be aware of Socs can really influence anger and sadness. For example on page 173 Ponyboy says “It used to be that I’d just stand there and let Darry yell at me, but lately I’d be yelling right back.” This is letting you know Ponyboy is commencing to stand up for himself. But this will only lead to more fights between Pony and Darry and wrong decisions. Once this occurs, unfortunately Pony will end up having his ‘gold’ depleted. I do not believe that Ponyboy will remain gold just like Johnny told him to for this
reason. Ponyboy has not lost his chance to stay gold yet because throughout the book he has not committed any wrong decision at all. But, just like how the poem states “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, Ponyboy will not forever stay gold. Eventually Ponyboy will be forced to make a bad decision or to do something bad by the influence he has around him. That influence is violence, hate of the socs and always seeing a fight going on. All of this can and will influence his actions and whether or not he will stay gold. The characters in this book that were gold once before but aren’t now are only Johnny, before he killed Bob, he was innocent and calm. The only character in this book that still is gold is Ponyboy, but not for long. For he will commence to do dreadful actions and decisions due to the influences he has. Therefore Ponyboy will eventually lose his gold due to his influences and Johnny was the only greaser who used to be gold, but now is not.
Ponyboy was a bad kid, he fought against Socs and he even smoked a weed, which is a cigarette. Later on he got into worse trouble and had to hide. He wanted to change and be a different person. While he hid he was scared and frightened and was beginning to think of how he was doing in life, and his thoughts were not very well. After the church incident, he began to change a little.
Johnny dies from rescuing kids from the burning church that used to be their hideout. After this happens a group of rich kids jump out of their car and threaten Pony. Ponyboy breaks the end off of his soda bottle, and threatens to cut them up. Pony realizes how aghast Two-Bit - a member of the gang - is at his actions, and Two bit tells him, “Ponyboy, listen, don’t get tough. You’re not like the rest of us and don’t try to be” (Hinton 171). Two-Bit wouldn’t have cared if anyone else had threatened to cut up someone, but when Ponyboy does, Two-Bit is aghast, and tells him off. He tells Pony that he isn’t like the rest of the gang, and hints that he doesn’t want him to be. Even the gang knows how different Ponyboy is from the rest of them, and they almost become like older brothers to Ponyboy in the way that they protect him. They are all reckless and carefree, but they know Pony well enough to know that he’s not like that. He is quieter, and his experiences of his parent’s and various friend’s deaths has not turned him cold yet. The gang knows this, and they want him to stay that way: good and
His parents died when he was young. He was nurtured by his older brothers. Pony has to struggle at the bottom of the social ladder. Like the people around him, he has to fight, steal and scare little kids. However, Pony remained a pure heart, a golden heart. He only fights when he has to defend himself. He kept his heart of sympathy, understanding of others and think for the others. Like in when the church was burned, he understands the situation of the teacher and children. So he risked his life to safe the kids. The most straight forward example and conclusion of Pony’s good heart is the word of Johnny, “Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold…” Moreover, Ponyboy is a thinker. He can think for the opposite side of his gang, the Socs. Although the Socs almost drowned him, he can still understand the Socs and didn’t be blinded by the hate. He in the chaos and impulsive world can see through the surface of the conflict and see the core of the world that people are the same. That is really amazing and Ponyboy does have the board mind of a hero.
Ponyboy doesn’t act like any regular greaser who is tough and likes to pick fights. Ponyboy cares about other people and will do things to benefit others. “I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I just went on picking up the glass from the bottle end and put it in the trash can. I didn’t want anyone to get a flat tire.” (pg. 172) Instead of leaving the
In other words you could say that he is gold, but the reality if the world made him harden his heard. After many months of life-changing events, he is totally changed from his previous self. ”I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don’t use my head”(Hinton 4). Ponyboy and Johnny are the characters that ,in the story, are the ones that should be gold. Johnny starts out good, but, near the climax he kills someone and is totally changed. Pretty much it all goes down hill from there.
The first example from the novel that supports the theme about “Staying Gold” is when Johnny and ponyboy are watching the sunrise and when Ponyboy said, “Too bad it couldn't stay like that all the time” (77). This is a perfect example of Ponyboy and Johnny enjoying the moment even though they are on the run.
“Nothing Gold Can Stay” was about remaining young, keeping your innocence, and keeping your childhood while it's there. This ties into the book because the greasers were forced to grow up faster, learn from their mistakes, survive on their own, and be proud of who why are, even if they are not. In midst of this, they can get hardened and lose themselves in the ups-and for the greasers-downs of life. When after a turn of events, Johnny ends up in the hospital, he knows he lost his spark and his innocence. On his deathbed, Pony awaits him with a forced smile, wanting to reassure him, and is greeted with the words, “ Stay gold Ponyboy. Stay gold…,” before laying down on his pillow and closing his eyes forever(148). After Johnny dies, Pony realizes he meant for him to keep his qualities, for they were rare like gold, and to remain the same person, choosing his own path, away from hoods and
In The Outsiders it is given that through faith and devotion to one another Ponyboy and the gang use their close friendship in troublesome situations for instance when Johnny tells Ponyboy “i had to” he does this as an act of loyalty to Ponyboy to show him that he can trust him no matter what situation they are in. Most of the story is told from first person or Ponies perspective which shows us without exception every aspect of the story. When Johnny dies at the end of the book Ponyboy only then realizes the importance of him, and the gangs need for someone like Johnny to give them a sense of purpose after mentioning “we couldn't get along without him . We needed Johnny as much as he needed the gang.” Throughout all of Ponyboys hardships Johnny was always there to support him even when Ponyboy wanted to run away after darry slapped him, he never asked any questions.
The legendary quote “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold” from the renowned novel “The Outsiders” is something that I hope my children and grandchildren will have the privilege to know and understand. The Outsiders has a strong value of family and friendship. Throughout the book there are many satellite themes and issues. The book is known as a coming of age for adolescence. When I first read this book it was in my 8th grade Language Arts class. The first thing that came to my mind was “hey, isn’t that the movie with that Cruise guy”. I had no clue that the story of Ponyboy Curtis would touch my heart in such a way. I had been going through so much that year, I felt as if I was Ponyboy. Middle school starts were kids finally come to a realization of
He first had to run away because they had killed a Soc and now he lost his best friend who wasn’t like the rest and can understand how Pony felt. “ I half convinced myself that I had dreamed everything that had happened the night before. I’m really home in bed, I thought ” (Pg. 68), and “Johnny was dead. But he wasn’t.” (Pg. 150). Both these quotes prove that Pony is trying to convince himself to believe that he is still home after they had killed Bob and had gone to Windrixville, and after Johnny had died in the hospital after the rumble, that he was still alive smoking a cigarette in the lot or something. By the end of the book his struggle to believe the truth is resolved. This is a big conflict because he is the main character and that is fighting with his own decisions and isn't able to handle the truth so he twists them around so he won’t feel depressed, or lonely.
He has no hope that his situation will get better, so he decides that he will just get used to living with Johnny and Dally’s death. He knows that if you get tough you don’t get hurt. “I knew well as he did that if you got tough you didn’t get hurt. Get smart and nothing can touch you.” (171) Ponyboy is trying to be more like the other boys by getting tougher and not feeling anything, but living like that is just going through the motions. “You’re living in a vacuum, Pony, and you’re going to have to cut it out.” (173) His family and friends try to tell him that he isn’t living. Since Ponyboy has stopped living life to the fullest he isn’t as happy. And if he isn’t as happy he isn’t honoring his friends memory enough.
This started to happen when he was in the church trying to hide away from the police because of the murder of one of the Soc’s. “I was trembling, and it wasn’t all from cold” (Hilton p.57). This shows that Ponyboy was scared, starting to break, and noticed that maybe this “hard bad boy” life isn't for him. Ponyboy put more and more thought about what it takes to be a greaser, which made him realize that maybe the gang life wasn’t good for him. “We were good fighters and could play cool, but we were sensitive and that isn’t a good way to be when you’re a greaser” (Hinton, p.88). Ponyboy is expressing that it is hard to be as strong as the other boys and sometimes he just couldn't or he couldn't be ok with what they were doing. “It drives my brother Darry nuts when I do stuff like that, ‘cause I’m supposed to be smart’ I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don't use my head” (Hinton, p.4). Ponyboy knows he has the potential to be something else and while being in hiding in the church it helps him realize that if he really wanted to he could be whatever he puts his mind
The Tragic Impermanence of Youth in Robert Frost's Nothing Gold Can Stay In his poem "Nothing Gold can Stay", Robert Frost names youth and its attributes as invaluable. Using nature as an example, Frost relates the earliest green of a newborn plant to gold; its first leaves are equated with flowers. However, to hold something as fleeting as youth in the highest of esteems is to set one's self up for tragedy. The laws of the Universe cast the glories of youth into an unquestionable state of impermanence.
Johnny the other main protagonist grew from his difficult experiences. Johnny was once Badly beaten by the Socs as a result of this he carried a switchblade and “Wouldn’t kill the next person who tried to hurt him” [pg 34]. When Ponyboy was being drowned by the socs Johnny jumped in and unintentionally killed the Soc.Even though he killed somebody he ended up saving Ponyboy.While Ponyboy and Johnny were hiding from the police they started to read “Gone with the wind” and Johnny became interested in the overall message of the book.From the book Johnny learned about “southern gentlemen and was amazed with their charm and kindness” Johnny didn’t care for reading or about school but being with Ponyboy helped him grow and he started to become interested in reading and learning. When Johnny was dying he told Ponyboy to “Stay gold” which was refering to a poem they read “Nothing gold can stay” By Robert Frost while they were at the church in hiding.Johnny grew from his difficulties and by spending time with
I thought Ponyboy’s main personality throughout the book was mature. I felt the author was trying to convey this because he wasn’t like Darry who was the boss of things or Dally who was loud. Ponyboy listens to everyone, respects everyone, and he acts like he’s the one grown up. This was shown in the quotation, “I could hear Johnny laughing at me but, I didn’t care.” This quotation shows Ponyboy doesn’t react back to those silly things, he just ignores it.