“Written by a middle-aged man who had already lost two children, both parents, and his closest friend… [‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ by Robert Frost]… evokes a point in life when the golden illusions of youth have vanished” Frost tries to pronounce to his reader’s that innocence, and youth are precious reminiscences which are inevitably taken away from every individual. Through-out the poem, hints of lack of control are suggested to the reader, and are supported by the diction and imagery Frost uses.
Frost’s poem explicitly shows that there is an inevitability of growth, loss of innocence and eventual death. The poem begins by the birth or a beginning of new life. “Nature’s first green is gold,” implies that the birth or conception of new life, is the most valuable part of life. It is the creation of innocence and blissful ignorance. However, this innocence is lost over time and Frost makes these claims through the line “But only so an hour” which implies that innocence is a very brief time in a youthful individual. Finally, Frost concludes his poem with the destruction of innocence when pronouncing “Nothing gold can stay.” Frost takes the notion of life and takes it through the stages of new life, or innocence and eventually replaces it with maturity.
Through-out the poem, Frost uses key words and styles of text, which give power to his writing. Through-out the poem, Frost keeps his language in a monosyllabic style of text. Each word is one or two syllables, and never more; this simplicity gives the reader the notion that life is simple but while you read further the simple becomes more and more complex to keep and thus innocence is running parallel to the simplicity becomes more and more difficult to maintain. Frost uses the word “gold” as a high status or importance within the poem. The word gives priority to innocence as it is the most important, but most fragile element to maintain. Frost also uses “Eden” in his work to create a link to biblical times in which Adam and Eve lose their innocence when they are consume the Apple of Knowledge.
The Essay on Confusion and Anxiety in Robert Frost’s Poems
During his lifetime, Robert Frost wrote poems that relate the confusion, anxiety, and struggles of the human mind. In his poems, he depicts how people’s minds may be imbued by confusion and anxiety as they experience pain and explore life’s possibilities. Particularly, in “The Road Not Taken” and “Acquainted with the Night,” the poet illustrates how thee two themes can lead a person to attempt to ...
Frost’s use of words and style of words make the poem very effective, in both the diction and the imagery. Frost’s poem can be broken down into 2 major parts both of which imagery is used and helps to transfer his thoughts to the reader. “Nature’s First green is gold Her hardest hue to hold” tells the reader that new life is very precious, and that it is difficult for the new life to maintain its innocence. “Her early leafs a flower But only so an hour Then leaf subsides to leaf” illustrates the fact that it is inevitable that innocence will be replaced by maturity, and growth. “So Eden sank to grief So dawn goes down to day” symbolizes the new maturity that is given through knowledge and grown and each day, as it goes by is a step away from innocence. The poem ends with “Nothing gold can stay” representing the absolute end of purity and innocence.
Innocence is lost no matter what an individual does, and Robert Frost shows this very clearly in “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” Innocence is shown in this poem as a force which there can be no control over, it shows a weakness in human nature to eventually lose something so precious, but is replaced with intellect and experience. Frost illustrates all these points plainly and bluntly to his readers. He shows this lack of control through his diction and imagery.
