Topic > Robert Frost's Literary Devices in "Nothing Gold Can Stay"

Stay GoldThere are life cycles for everything; humans, animals and even plants. Everything that is alive will inevitably die; it is simply inevitable. In his article, “Nothing Gold Can Stay”.” Deirdre Fagan says, “…all beauty is fleeting,” a theme very present in Robert Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” Using imagery, symbolism, and sound, Frost shows his readers that good things come and go and that they are often short-lived. It also illustrates that, for the very reason stated above, it is extremely important that people do not take anything for granted in life, as they never know when it will be taken away from them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One of the most obvious writing tools used in “Nothing Gold Can Stay” are images; a literary element defined as visually descriptive or figurative language. Throughout the poem, Frost uses vividly expressive words to help readers imagine the things he is talking about. In turn, readers can then take the mental image created by the images and connect it to the theme of the poem; entropy (little). An example of imagery is in line five where it says, “Then the leaf sags into the leaf” (Frost). This in-depth description of leaves falling from the branches they were once attached to makes it easy for readers to actually imagine what is going on in their heads. They can almost see the leaves falling in their minds. Being able to visualize the event described in the poem makes it much easier to understand that specific line in the poem, as well as its relationship to the theme. Another example of the imagery used throughout the poem is in line seven, which says, “Thus the dawn sets upon the day” (Frost). While this phrase may be worded a little strangely, it actually describes the sunrise in the morning; an event that represents the beginning of something new. Readers can then connect the description of sunrise used in the poem with the idea of ​​new experiences occurring in their lives. The imagery used in the poem helps readers connect the ideas that Frost is trying to convey with phenomena that they are generally familiar with in their daily lives, which allows them to better understand the theme of the work. Additionally, Frost also uses symbolism throughout the poem as a way to incorporate them later in the poem without ruining the metaphors he has already created. For example, in the first line it says: "Nature's first green is gold" (Frost). The frost doesn't actually mean that the trees suddenly grow golden leaves, but that the new life that is blooming all around is precious; it is essentially golden (Fagan). Another example would be the color green mentioned in the first line as it is usually related to nature and in this case, it symbolizes freshness, new life and opportunities. The sunrise described in line seven mentioned above is also an example of symbolism, as it represents the beginning of something new. Frost uses symbolism from the beginning of the poem to the end as a way to introduce his theme to readers while keeping intact the important underlying metaphors he makes throughout the poem. Additionally, Frost uses a pronounced beat in “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” to create a definitive sound and also to create some irony. Throughout the poem, Frost constructs an almost nursery rhyme-like cadence with his use of a regular rhythmic pattern (Little). This is partly because the poem itself is actually four rhyming couplets or two lines in the same meter and joined by rhyme. The final rhyme present throughout",.