Nothing Gold Can Stay Forever

Author’s Note: This is a piece about the theme loss of innocence. I am writing about why it relates to this theme. It tells you about a poem written by Robert Frost. It shows you what this poem means and explains thing that people might not have noticed about the book The Outsiders.


“Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold” was Johnny Cade’s final words to Ponyboy before he passed on, in the book The Outsiders. Johnny is referring to the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay, by Robert Frost. Ponyboy taught this poem to Johnny before he had died, but Johnny was the one that ended up giving Ponyboy advice using this poem.

“Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down today.
Nothing gold can stay.”

This poem shows us the theme, loss of innocence. Johnny told Ponyboy to “Stay gold”. He is referring to this poem as he states that. This shows loss of innocence because he is practically saying don’t turn bad and always stay pure. The “Nature’s first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold” means when you are born you are innocent and pure. But as you grow you become less and less innocent. “Her early leaf a flower, but only so an hour” is saying that when your little you are innocent but that chances rapidly. “Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, so dawn goes down today” explains that not everything good stays and that Eden became sorrow. Finally “Nothing gold can stay” Nothing pure can stay and as you grow you become lass innocent. Johnny uses this line brilliantly by telling Ponyboy to stay who he is and never change. He has to stay true and pure and don’t turn cold like Dally did and never lose your innocence.

I agree with Johnny’s remark completely, Ponyboy has to stay gold and never grow up. Johnny was my favorite character; he always had good points and always had a good attitude. Johnny is telling Ponyboy to never lose his innocence. Ponyboy has a little bit of a mind of a child still. He really has never grown out of it yet. You always just have to remember always “stay gold” and never change that.