1. Chapter 5: Allusion and symbolism
In chapter 5, Ponyboy recites a poem by Robert Frost to Johnny after they watched the sun rise over the horizon from their perch outside the church. This has different meaning to both boys.

2. Firstly, What does a sunrise mean to you?

3. This is known as Symbolism…
Symbolism: When a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself also represents, or stands for, something else.
= Innocence
= Love and romance
= Peace

4. “first green”
could represent the idea of being young and fresh.
In pairs,
label the words and phrases that act as symbols in this poem.
What ideas do they stand for?
Identify the different images and what they could mean.
Nothing Gold Can Stay Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf, So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day Nothing gold can stay.  By Robert Frost

5. How well do you understand:
Subject: What do you think this poem is about?
Theme: What is the poem’s meaning or message?
Tone: What is the author’s attitude toward the subject?
This poem is also an allusion…
Allusion: reference to a literary work or historical place or event in a piece of literature.
Why do you think this allusion has been included in the novel?

6. Success Criteria: Write your own Poem:
Select one of the following options or develop your own.
Write a poem about something that doesn’t stay
Write a character poem about Ponyboy or Johnny
Write about what a sunrise means to you.
Success Criteria:
It needs to include symbolism.
Be a minimum of 8 lines long.
Express a feeling or idea about the subject sellected.