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 means that things change and and it means that things can’t
stay forever, or things that you love will not always stay. I only got the title
and the rest of the poem. Things have to move and die so that why nothing
is forever or nothing gold can stay.
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?
I like it because I really reflect that everything will have a point where it
ends. It makes me think how you need to take advantage of the time you
have with people because they are not going to stay there for ever.
Material things are not so important like people.
What lines stand out to you most? What does it make you think about?
“So dawn goes down to day.” It symbolize for me the day ending and the
night starting. It is a nice way of symbolizing the sun set as pretty as a
garden of a 1000 flower.
PART 3: CLOSE READ ANALYSIS
What does the color green symbolize?
For me is like the first blooming of a flower.
What does the color gold symbolize?
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
A preciouses thing something really important and is hard to find.
Who or what does the poem refer to when it says “her”? How do you know?
It’s mother nature creating the first life of nature.
What type(s) of figurative language do you notice in these lines?
What do you think the speaker means by “early leaf”?
The first life of a flower is a leaf or what distinguish that leaf from other
plants.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
What does a flower symbolize?
The life of a person and each leaf is like a time frame of your life
completely and you get new leafs also and some go.
What comment is the speaker making about time?
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
What does the author most likely mean by “subside”? What tone does this
word create?
They give up there space for other leafs.
What do you think “Eden” refers to?
Edan is like something really special and it refers how the sun is about to
be out to the sun set and I think it can be something really special.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Why might Robert Frost have decided to make this reference in this poem?
What mood or feeling does this image create?
It creates a peaceful one where you can relax and take it easy I picture
the sun going down and a sky full of orange, pink and yellow.
What is the message that the speaker seems to be communicating here?
Nothing gold can stay.
That nothing you really love is going to be here for ever and everything
comes and goes. Nothing important (as gold) can ever be 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?
It is like a poem that brings you again to the title so you can reflect on everything
the author said and again think how it all relates to the title.
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)
Golden- Because golden is like something really important that is preciouses for you
Her- I think it’s like talking of mother nature and her wonderful creations.
Subside- Is like giving the spot for something new and it tells me like sometimes the
leaf has to give it spot for something new and it’s like in life you have to change
some things for others because you can’t have everything.
What feelings or emotions does this poem create? How does the author create this mood?
It creates for me a peaceful and relaxing environment where I can see the sun set
posing and the time of life passing threw just like in a few seconds you had the
most amazing view in 3 seconds everything can change.
What is the theme or message of this poem? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
That nothing you really love is going to be here for ever and everything comes and goes.
Nothing important (as gold) can ever be forever.
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?