Imagery And Symbolism In Robert Frost's Nothing Gold Can Stay

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Most people have heard the saying, “All good things must come to an end.” Robert Frost explores this idea in his poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” This poem, written in the 1920s, which began as a time of economic prosperity and ended with a time of economic depression, uses gold as a metaphor to explain the idea, nothing “good” will last. Robert Frost’s enjoyment and observation of nature causes him to ponder a far deeper thought of possibly his own mortality, which is, everything has its own time and will eventually perish. This relatively short, eight line, poem packs each line to the brim of imagery and symbolism. The first sentence, which consists of two lines states,”Nature’s first green is gold,/ Her hardest hue

This idea brings the reader into the mind of Robert Frost to investigate if he is suggesting that his youth was a time of more productivity and fonder memories than his current stage of life. The sixth line refers to the perfect Garden of Eden which was made imperfect when Adam and Eve sinned against God. This concept is much like how the golden flowers, mentioned in line one, diminish or become lesser. Robert Frost clearly prefers the morning to the day or night, and it is especially noted in line seven when he says, “So dawn goes down to day” (7). The golden beams of the sunrise that shine over nature turn into the the generic rays that reveal earth’s natural colors. The poem is concluded by stating the main theme of the poem which is, “Nothing gold can stay” (8). The idea that good things will not last causes moments and memories to be more cherished and appreciated. The underlying metaphor between nature and the human experience causes the reader to stop, if it is only while reading the poem, and think about the “good times” they have had or to slow down and consider that the best time of their life may be happening at that exact moment. In this poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” Robert Frost has come to the realization that life is short, and