Why does Johnny's remark about the sunrise remind Ponyboy about Robert Frost's poem?

Answer 1

Johnny says "Too bad it couldn't stay like that." and that's when the poem poped into Ponyboy's mind.

"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.