The Outsiders
PART 1: PREDICTION
Read just the title of the poem. What general impressions do you have? What do you think it will be
about? What will be the general mood? Why do you think this?
I think that it is going to be about how nothing can stay the same, and everything will change when it is
time. One of my general impressions are how it seems like a poem that hides so much and tells so little.
I think the mood of the poem is like calm and nice, it is like a poem with a happy mood. I think this
because the phrase, “Nothing Gold can Stay” has multiple point of views.
Nothing Gold Can Stay
By: Robert Frost
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
PART 2: REACTION
What is your overall opinion of the poem? Why?
Overall when I read this poem I thought about how things come, and go. As the leafs they come and
go but new leafs come and they can replace the other leaves. Also how nothing can stay so you have
to appreciate what you have,
What lines stand out to you most? What does it make you think about?
Nature’s first green is gold,
I think that this means that the best thing in the world is obviously gold, but in nature the best thing is
green.
PART 3: CLOSE READ ANALYSIS
What does the color green symbolize?
I think that this means like the best of nature
What does the color gold symbolize?
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
I think that gold represents the best of the world
Who or what does the poem refer to when it says “her”? How do you know?
It is using personification to the tree
What type(s) of figurative language do you notice in these lines?
Personification, and simile.
What do you think the speaker means by “early leaf”?
The first leaf, or the one that came before all of them and left as well.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
What does a flower symbolize?
Like the first leaves turn in to flowers first so they are mentioned like the first
on the group here.
What comment is the speaker making about time?
That time passes very fast, it mentions that leaves are only here for one hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
What does the author most likely mean by “subside”? What tone does this
word create?
That the leaf is falling down the tree or in other words calming down.
What do you think “Eden” refers to?
I think that it means like natures home.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Why might Robert Frost have decided to make this reference in this poem?
Because when the leafs leave the garden feels alone.
What mood or feeling does this image create?
This creates an abandoned garden with sadness.
What is the message that the speaker seems to be communicating here?
Nothing gold can stay.
That things some and go and things will never stay forever.
PART 4: DISCUSSION
Why does the author include the word “gold” in the title, line 1, and line 8? What purpose
does it serve?
Gold means like something expensive and something that has a high value that can be
compared to other things and make them seen expensive as well.
Select the three most important words in the poem. Why did you choose each of these?
(These words do not have to be in order of importance)
Nothing gold stay,
I chose this words because they sum up everything. During the poem they are trying to explain that
everything comes and goes and that nothing can stay. Gold symbolizes like good things, so it means
they never stay for long.
What feelings or emotions does this poem create? How does the author create this mood?
It created like a good mood and also a mood that may worry, because good things never
stay and they will never be forever, but when there is bad things good will always come
along.
What is the theme or message of this poem? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
I do agree with the author, it’s like everything in life it comes and goes, for example you
may have very thing you want one day, but the next you can loose it. But something you
can’t loose is your feeling.
How does the theme or message of the poem connect to Johnny and Ponyboy’s situation in
The Outsiders? What is the context (what is going on in the book at this point? Why is the
poem referenced at this point in the story?
Right now the things for Johnny and Pony boy are very hard, but as the poem says that
when bad things happen to them then good things will come later to him. Also that since
they are worried and in a bad situation, then a good one will come towards them.