Life and death leave us with a known and an unknown that are inevitable. In the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost symbolism, rhyme and allusion are used to describe not only the life cycle of nature but also the human life cycle. The allegory "Used to Live Here Once" by Jean Rhys uses symbolism and motifs to tell the story of a woman who is dead but is unaware that she is actually dead. Although both of these literary pieces use similar elements that symbolize the human life cycle in their writings, they are very different in nature, and the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" leaves you with a real reality of the life cycles of all beings and the allegory leaves you alone with the imagination. “A symbol is something that has a literal identity but also represents something else, something that is widely understood and has been developed over a long period of time or by mutual agreement” (Clugston, 2010). Symbolism is used widely in all forms of literature to include both short stories and poems. Symbolism is also used to challenge the reader to go beyond what is on the page using imagination and association which is mostly used in everyday life. Furthermore, once you have learned what certain symbols represent, you may find yourself using them in your observations of everyday life. On the other hand, those who have experienced life and have their own account of what the symbols mean to them will be able to bring the their literature. to life also through symbolism. “To write about life, you must first live it,” (Hemingway, n.d.), makes it clear that those who have lived and experienced life are better able to write about it and use the symbolism of the world around them. Both pieces of literature chosen for this......middle of the paper......with the use of symbolism in each of these pieces allows you to go beyond the page to imagine the events as the author tells you attracts. “Used to Live Here Once” is a short story of memories and unawareness, while the poem “Nothing Gold can Stay” explains the cycle of life. Poetry left me with an image of reality while allegory left me amazed. Works Cited Clugston,. R.W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Schachter, L. (2013). , D. (2007). OUT- OF-BODY EXPERIENCE: THE ULTIMATE RESEARCH TOOL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Journal of Spirituality & Paranormal Studies, 30109-119.http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main. /NoNameGivenhttp://www.manchesterparanormal.org/Touched-by-Spirits.php