Nothing gold can stay

1. In line 6, "Eden" is an allusion to the biblical Garden of Eden. Why might the speaker choose this as a symbol? What does Eden represent in this poem? Explain your answer.

2. The speaker personifies nature. In other words, the speaker presents nature in a human form by referring to it as "her". Why does the speaker make a connection between the life of nature and the life of people? Support your answer.

3. According to this poem, should we value your youth? Why? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other art, literature, or history in your answer.

1. In the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay", the poet makes an allusion to "Eden" to represent an image of a beautiful place. In the poem Eden is a place of perfection and golden nature but its eventual death and fading nature reminds us that even the most perfect thing on Earth is bound to die.

2. The speaker personifies nature in a human form by referring to it as "her" because just like a female, it gives birth to new life. The speaker makes a connection between the life of nature and the life of people to remind us that life is mortal and vulnerable. Everything on Earth would die eventually and in that process, nature would give birth to new life to sustain the Earth.

3. Yes, according to the poem we should value youth as it will eventually fade away. As we know youth is a time of vigor and power, it can be seen as the golden time/flower time of our lives. It is the best and the most refined time of a human life. Therefore, we should value it and use it to the fullest before it fades way like every golden thing on Earth. The evidence that reminds us to value youth can be seen through "Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour."

chibuikeumeh chibuikeumeh · Answer 2 · 2022-01-14T12:16:41+01:00

From the excerpt, the speaker chose Eden as a symbol because Eden symbolizes a beautiful abode.

Eden represents a beautiful place as seen in the poem. Eden has a golden nature and a place of perfection.

Its fading nature and death brings a reminder that even the most beautiful things can die.

The speaker personifies nature in human form by referring to it as her because, just like the females reproduce and give life, nature also gives life.

The connection between the life of nature and the life of people tells us that it is in jeopardy and lethal.

According to the poem, YES, one should value their youth because it doesn't last forever.

The youthful age is a time of strength and should be treated with great consciousness as its a vital time in one's life. Therefore, one should value it because it transits and does not come again.

Citing an evidence from the poem about the youth:

Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour.