Chapter 5/6 Poem analysis

Poem:

“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.”

I think that this poem is explaining that nothing is perfect forever. It describes that even though at first it might seem perfect, things can change very quickly. Happiness doesn't last forever, as sad as it sounds, it's true. "Nothing gold can stay," pretty much means happiness doesn't always last forever. This poem also relates to your childhood when it says "Her early leaf’s a flower," and how we were once innocent, but now are different. I believe that when you are little you see the world differently from elders who are wiser, yet, even though you may be wise now, you will soon die. This poem also mentioned the word Eden that was the garden in which God had given Adam and Eve. When they were poisoned by it, the garden died away. It is quiet a sad poem, but somehow reflective and intelligent. It also relates to this book "The Outsiders."

This poem relates to this book because, as it explains, Ponyboy had a great life when he was little, although, many things changed very quickly. His parents died and he's left with his brothers. In one moment he is having a great time with his friends and the girls watching a movie, and then a few hours later he finds himself running away from home, nearly drowning, lying next to Bob's dead body, and hiding away in a church form a murder scene. These examples relate to this poem very well because, you could describe Pony's situation and say, 'nothing gold can stay'. It also relates to the other greasers because they were all young once, innocent and kind. But know they are all grown up and don't care if they do bad things, nor get into all sorts of trouble. Like the poem explains, "Her early leaf’s a flower… Nothing gold can stay."