The Outsiders
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”
Analysis
Name: ______________________
CCS: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an
objective summary of the text.
1. Recap: Where are Johnny and Ponyboy now? What events have happened in the recent past?
2. Snap Judgement!: With a partner, read “Nothing Gold Can Stay” straight through. What’s it about?
What topics are covered?
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.
3. What topics are covered in this poem? List a few below.
4. What is it about? Summarize each stanza.
Stanza 1 (lines 1-4): ________________________________________________________________________
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Stanza 2 (lines 5-8): ________________________________________________________________________
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5. Predictions: What is the theme of this poem? ________________________________________________
1. Directions: With your group, mark up the poem and break it down. (Ways to annotate the
poem are to clarify difficult words, analyze metaphors, and explain what you see in your mind.)
2. MOOD: How does the poem make you feel? Why? ______________________________________
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Theme Reminders:
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Theme is not just a one-word answer. “Justice” is not a theme. It’s a topic. A theme
could be about the topic of Justice.
A theme is debatable. Some people may agree and others may not that, “justice is hard to
find when people torment each other.”
A theme is a message conveyed by the text that applies to multiple other texts.
3. THEME: What is the message?
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4. Where else have you seen this theme? Briefly describe another text/movie/tv show/real-life
situation and explain how it had a similar message to this poem.
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5. Why do you think Ponyboy recited this poem at this point in the novel?
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Homework
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”
Name: _____________________________
Part 1: Write your OWN poem or song about a different topic that conveys a similar theme as
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”.
BRAINSTORM:
a.) What was the theme of “Nothing Gold Can Stay”?
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b.) What topic do you want to write about to convey this theme? (Robert Frost wrote about nature, so
write about something different than that.)
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c.) Write your poem/song below. Your poem/song should be at least 6 lines.
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Part 2 Directions: Character Response
a.) Choose one character (circle):
Dally
Ponyboy
Johnny
Darry
b.) At this point in the novel, what would your character say about the theme of your poem and Robert
Frost’s poem? Would he agree or disagree? Find at least one piece of evidence from The Outsiders
to support your answer and include the page numbers. Write at least 5 sentences. (Write from your
own, academic perspective, not the voice of the character) 
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4
3
Poem Topic
(Part 1)
Poem’s topic is unique
and not about nature.
Poem’s topic is not
about nature.
Poem Theme
(Part 1)
The theme is very clear
and strongly connects to
the theme of Frost’s
poem.
The theme is mostly
clear and mostly
connects to the theme
of Frost’s poem.
Character
Reaction to
Theme (Part 2)
Evidence (Part 2)
Character’s response to
theme is logical,
detailed, and accurate.
Character’s response is
mostly logical and
accurate.
One strong, specific
piece of evidence from
The Outsiders.
One specific piece of
evidence from The
Outsiders.
2
1
Poem’s topic is not
unique and is too
closely related to
Frost’s topic.
The theme is
somewhat clear and
somewhat connects to
the theme of Frost’s
poem.
Character’s response is
somewhat accurate.
Poem’s topic is
unclear, ambiguous, or
has multiple topics.
Weak evidence from
The Outsiders.
Weak evidence and
does not include page
numbers.
The theme is unclear
and/or doesn’t connect
to the theme of Frost’s
poem.
Character’s response to
theme is vague or
inaccurate.