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“Nothing Gold Can Stay” is, sans the last line, written in iambic trimeter. Each line contains three iambs (an unstressed syllable, followed by a stressed syllable), creating six beats per line. In the New England dialect “flower” (Line 3) is pronounced as a single syllable, more like “flour” than “flow-er.” Thus, all the lines conform to the pattern except the last. The evenness of the meter creates part of the sense of sound, or tone, which Frost found essential to the success of his poetry. At first, the even rhythm is pleasing to the ear, which explains in part why the poem is easy to memorize. As the poem progresses, this evenness begins to create an underlying plodding tone much like a dirge—something sad and unstoppable. This is echoed in the imagery and enhanced by the last line which stops one syllable short of six, creating a cut off feeling that resounds the despair of the latter four lines. Changing the meter of the last line also shows that whatever progress has been made is truncated.
The rhyme scheme of “Nothing Gold Can Stay” is simple: aabbccdd.
By Robert Frost
Acquainted with the Night
Acquainted with the Night
Robert Frost
After Apple-Picking
After Apple-Picking
Robert Frost
A Time To Talk
A Time To Talk
Robert Frost
Birches
Birches
Robert Frost
Dust of Snow
Dust of Snow
Robert Frost
Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice
Robert Frost
Mending Wall
Mending Wall
Robert Frost
October
October
Robert Frost
Once by the Pacific
Once by the Pacific
Robert Frost
Out, Out—
Out, Out—
Robert Frost
Putting in the Seed
Putting in the Seed
Robert Frost
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
The Death of the Hired Man
The Death of the Hired Man
Robert Frost
The Gift Outright
The Gift Outright
Robert Frost
The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
West-Running Brook
West-Running Brook
Robert Frost