Question

What is the literal meaning of "Nothing Gold Can Stay"? Write a brief summary of the poem (three to four sentences). Use examples from the text in your response.

Answer 1

The poem is about change and momentary existence. It says the green of spring is actually gold. This precious time is fleeting; it is Nature’s “hardest hue to hold.” This idea of not being able to hold on to things is repeated throughout the poem. The third and fourth lines of the poem discuss how a flower lasts only for a short time. In the final two lines, the poem discusses how dawn is brief before turning into day.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

It means that nothing is permanent in life.

Step-by-step explanation:

The literal meaning of "Nothing Gold Can Stay" is "nothing is permanent in life."

In the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost, the poet explains the mortality of life and how nature itself fades and dies eventually. Here, nature is described as gold because it is very precious and beautiful.

Through the lines "Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour.", the poet says that even nature does not last forever but it is bound to fade away just like the Garden of Eden.