Select one of the correct themes identified in Part A. Which two lines from the poem best develop and support the theme you selected? Explain what the lines show and why they are the best examples.

Question

Nothing Gold Can Stay
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.

Answer 1

The theme identified is the fleeting nature of beauty and innocence. The two lines that best develop and support this theme are "Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour." These lines illustrate the idea that beauty and innocence are temporary and quickly fade away. The comparison of a leaf to a flower emphasizes the brief and ephemeral nature of the beauty. Additionally, the use of the word "hour" suggests that this beauty is short-lived.

These lines are the best examples because they directly convey the idea that nothing gold can stay, highlighting the impermanence of beauty and innocence. This supports the overall theme of the poem and reinforces the message that all things must eventually come to an end.