The Outsiders
Why cant anything gold stay
So dawn goes down to day nothing gold can stay
So dawn goes down to day nothing gold can stay
The poem speaks to the impermanence of life and how anything of real value eventually must die.
It refers to how anything great can't stay. Every good thing will eventually be gone. For example, when Ponyboy and Johnny are watching the sunset and Ponyboy recites the poem, it means that the beautiful sunset won't stay, so they should enjoy it while it lasts.