“Nothing Gold Can Stay”

Thesis: Robert Frost utilizes a variety of literary devices to convey his belief that innocence, though an essential part of youth, must be relinquished before adulthood.

            Color symbolism in Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” sets up the idea of innocence in children.  The beginning of the poem states, “Nature’s first green is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold” (Frost 1-2).  “Nature’s first green” is the first sign of life in the spring and can be metaphorically compared to childhood.  Describing this first sign of life, or childhood, as gold elicits a feeling of goodness since gold is often symbolic of wealth and prosperity.  However, in this poem gold is symbolic of a child’s innocence.  The second line of the poem establishes how hard it is to keep one’s innocence because inevitably one grows old.  Frost sets up the idea that the innocence of childhood is the beauty of life, yet it is one of the most challenging things to hold on to.

The Stranger #2: What Salamano is Really Telling Meursault

            In this reading we are introduced to Salamano, an old man with an odd relationship with his dog.  He seems to be unhappy yet he is devastated when his dog goes missing.  Salamano seems to be a look into Meursault’s future.  We find out in this reading that Meursault is going to marry Marie.  When Meursault is talking with Salamano about his dog, Meursault is told that Salamano got his dog after his wife died and that “he hadn’t been happy with his wife, but he’d pretty much gotten used to her” (Camus 44).  Salamano’s tale about his marriage is supposed to warn Meursault to be careful with marriage unless he wants to end up as a lonely old man with a dog who he hates yet cannot live without.

“My mistress’ eyes”

Thesis: The speaker makes use of a tone shift to show that although his mistress’ looks are not great he loves her anyways.

            In many love poems the poet focuses on strong comparisons of the woman’s physical features with aspects of nature.  Shakespeare’s “My mistress’ eyes” seems to follow the traditional structure, yet it puts a twist on the traditional style by inverting the common comparisons.  The speaker describes his mistress by saying her “eyes are nothing like the sun” (1), “If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun” (3), and “no such roses see I in her cheeks” (6).  Each of these comparisons is the exact opposite of the traditional.  Normally, comparisons such as these would complement a woman, but Shakespeare chooses to invert these comparisons and describe her unflattering features.  Through these demeaning comparisons Shakespeare establishes dejected tone that leads the reader to believe that he does not love his mistress.  However, in line twelve there is a major tone shift that unlocks the speakers true meaning.   The last two lines of the poem read: “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare” (12-13).  The speaker’s tone shifts to loving and establishes that although his woman is not the prettiest woman he still loves her, and his love for her is like any other man’s love.  Shakespeare’s use of a tone shift helps to establish the point that although the woman is not as beautiful as others the speaker still loves her as any man loves a woman.

The Picture of Dorian Gray #8: Unlocking the Preface

 “All art is at once surface and symbol.  Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.  Those who read the symbol do so at their peril” (Wilde 2).

            The reader is first introduced to the idea that art is both surface and symbol in the preface, yet the idea is not fully explained until the last chapter of the text.  Wilde claims that there are two aspects to every piece of art, the surface and the symbol.  He also claims that those that attempt to understand the artwork do so with the chance of harm.  Basil’s portrait of Dorian serves these two purposes; on the surface it is just a painting that seems to be aging, but this visible aging symbolizes all of Dorian’s sins.  Although Dorian notices the surface before the symbol, he attempts to read the symbol first which then leads him to go beneath the surface, literally.  It didn’t take long for Dorian to realize that the portrait was displaying his sins so that he could keep his young features, but in the last chapter Dorian attempts to understand the symbol even more.  Dorian begins to wonder if the increase in blood on the portrait means “that he [is] to confess” to his sins (227-228).  As Dorian further understands the symbolism of the portrait he begins to question everything he has done and he blames the portrait for his actions.  He is then led to destroy the portrait.  When Dorian drives the knife through the portrait he is literally going beneath the surface and when he does this he ends up dying because of his relationship with the painting.  Since the portrait is the representation of Dorian’s soul he cannot live without it so when he destroys it he essentially kills himself.  Through his delving into the meaning of the symbol and going beneath the surface Dorian causes himself pain and trouble.  Unlocking the symbol led Dorian to commit such horrid things as the murder of Basil and the blackmail of Alan Campbell, and his attempt to destroy the painting by literally going beneath the surface caused his death, unlocking this part of the preface in the context of the story.

The Picture of Dorian Gray #7: Dorian’s Deceit

            Dorian has done some questionable things in his life including his treatment of Sibyl Vane and the savage murder of Basil Hallward.  His actions have led to unflattering rumors being spread about him and people forming opinions of him that are not ideal.  To cope with the consequences of his actions Dorian has had to become quite cunning; he knows that if people find out the truth about what he has done his reputation and life will be destroyed.  After killing Basil, Dorian knew that he could not let people tie him to the murder; one of the first things he did was establish a rock-solid alibi for himself.  Dorian knew that there was no evidence against him because “Basil Hallward had left the house at eleven.  No one had seen him come in again.  Most of the servants were at Selby Royal.  His valet had gone to bed” (Wilde 164).  He then proceeded to leave and re-enter the house by waking up his valet and creating the story that he forgot his key.  Dorian knows that if he can deceive the public with a solid alibi and destroy the evidence there will be know way to tie him to the murder, and his life and what is left of his reputation will be saved. 

            The other example of Dorian’s cunningness comes when James Vane confronts him in an alley in the middle of the night.  James, Sibyl’s brother, has made Dorian from the nickname, Prince Charming.  James knew nothing about Dorian except this nickname but he knew that he vowed to kill this man since it was Dorian’s fault that Sibyl is dead.  Dorian certainly would have been murdered if it wasn’t for his quick thinking that made James believe that he had the wrong man. Dorian asks James, “How long ago is it since your sister did” (195) to make James realize that there is no way that Dorian could be Sibyl’s Prince Charming because he looks to young.  Dorian’s deceit has saved him on multiple occasions; without it he would most certainly be dead if he was not in prison.

The Picture of Dorian Gray #5: Basil and Dorian’s Relationship

            In the fifth reading of The Picture of Dorian Gray, the reader sees a progression in Basil and Dorian’s relationship.  Basil’s dedication and love towards Dorian have been shown quite often in the first four nights readings but those feelings have been fairly unreciprocated.  The fifth reading is one of the first times that Basil’s feelings towards Dorian are reciprocated, even if only slightly.  The reader has begun to see that Basil’s relationship to Dorian is synonymous to that of a parent to child.  In many parent to child relationships the child refuses to listen to the parents, who tend to have the best interests of the child in mind.  Throughout the book Dorian has refused to spend time with Basil, who has Dorian’s best interests in mind, and instead chooses to spend his time with Lord Henry, who corrupts Dorian and destroys his defining characteristics.  The reader has been lead to believe that Dorian does not want to spend any time with Basil at all and that Dorian would always run to Lord Henry with his problems.  However, Dorian says: “I don’t think I would go to Harry if I were in trouble.  I would sooner go to you, Basil” (Wilde 120).  By stating that he would run to Basil if he were in trouble rather than to Lord Henry, Dorian acknowledges the fact that Basil has a parental influence on him and for one of the first times reciprocates some of Basil’s feelings.  Although Dorian says this as he is breaking Basil’s heart by telling him that he will never sit for another portrait, Basil does not become angry.  Basil is quite content with playing the role of parent because he cares so much about Dorian’s happiness and wellbeing that he is willing to lessen his own happiness.  Basil establishes himself as the picture-perfect parent figure in that he selflessly cares only about what Dorian wants and what makes Dorian happy.