Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nothing Gold Can Stay Study Guide

"Nothing Gold Can Stay" is a composition by American poet Robert Lee Frost (1874–1963). Originally published in 1923 by the Yale Review, the poem was included in Frost's collection called New Hampshire, also published that year.

Frost was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for New Hampshire in 1924. "Nothing Gold Can Stay" in particular was praised for its depth and concision.

"Nothing Gold Can Stay" is emblematic of much of Frost's poetry. Its compressed form, its rhyme scheme, and its use of consonance and assonance, as well as its almost deceptive simplicity, are reflective of Frost's style, which valued colloquialism and sought to imitate speech.

The poem has cast a long shadow in history; it has been mentioned in many movies and books, as well as comics and songs. It entered the public domain in 2019.