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In the novel The Outsiders, what is the significance of the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" in relation to Ponyboy and Johnny's lives?

In Chapter 5, Ponyboy wakes up early one morning and sits outside to watch the sunrise. Johnny follows him outside and comments on how beautiful the colors of the sunrise blend together. He says, "The mist was what was pretty...All gold and silver" (Hinton 66). Johnny then comments on how it is a shame that the sky cannot always remain so picturesque, which reminds Ponyboy of the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay." Ponyboy recites the poem but mentions that he doesn't understand its deeper meaning. The poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" highlights the transience of youth, innocence, and life. Frost depicts the impermanence of nature and humanity throughout the poem which corresponds to both Ponyboy and Johnny's lives. Johnny's life and Ponyboy's innocence are short-lived and can be symbolized by the leaves in the poem. Johnny was a magnanimous individual who was well-liked by his group of peers. Johnny's life was essentially "golden," but it did not last for long. Similar to Johnny's metaphorical "golden" life, Ponyboy's innocence made him a pure individual, which was also short-lived. Frost's poem symbolically represents both Ponyboy's temporary innocence and Johnny's brief life throughout the novel.

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