What happens when Doodle’s story is viewed through two very different lenses—one focused on the beauty of what cannot last and the other on the power of overcoming what seems impossible?

James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” pairs beautifully with Robert Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay” and Tupac Shakur’s “The Rose That Grew from Concrete.” Together, the poems give students two different ways to understand Doodle: as someone whose life is marked by fragility and loss, but also by remarkable resilience and possibility.

WHY THEY CONNECT

In “The Scarlet Ibis,” Doodle enters the world with nearly everyone expecting very little from him. Yet again and again, he exceeds those expectations. He survives. He learns to crawl. He walks. He explores the world alongside his brother.

At the same time, Doodle’s story is marked by fragility. His accomplishments do not erase his physical limitations, and Brother’s determination to keep pushing him eventually turns something hopeful into something tragic.

That tension makes Doodle’s story especially powerful when viewed alongside these two poems.

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“Nothing Gold Can Stay”

by Robert Frost

Frost’s poem brings Doodle’s fragility into focus. Its images of beauty that appears only briefly before changing invite students to consider the things we value precisely because they cannot last forever.

Through this lens, Doodle’s short life is not insignificant because it is brief. Instead, his fragility makes the moments of growth, joy, and connection within his life even more meaningful. The poem can also lead students to question whether Brother spends so much time trying to change Doodle that he fails to appreciate who Doodle already is.

Why They Work Together

• Innocence that cannot last
• The inevitability of change
• Beauty made more precious by its fragility
• Love, growth, and loss
• Perfect for exploring symbolism, theme, and the fleeting nature of what we value.

“The Rose That Grew from Concrete”

by Tupac Shakur

Shakur’s poem brings Doodle’s resilience into focus.

A rose growing through concrete succeeds despite conditions that suggest it should not—and Doodle repeatedly does the same. From the beginning, other people define him by what they believe he will never be able to do. Yet Doodle continually pushes beyond those expectations.

Through this lens, students can look beyond Doodle’s fragility and consider his determination, accomplishments, and ability to grow despite the limitations placed upon him.

Why They Work Together

• Defying expectations
• Growing despite difficult circumstances
• Resilience and perseverance
• Looking beyond limitations to see potential
• Perfect for exploring characterization, theme, resilience, and the power of expectations.

ONE ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Are we defined more by our limitations, by what we overcome, or by the impact we have while we are here?

The question allows both poems to remain in conversation with the story rather than asking students to arrive at one “correct” interpretation of Doodle.

START THE CONVERSATION

Before introducing either poem, ask students:

If you had to describe Doodle’s story in one word, would you choose fragile or resilient? Why?

After reading the poems, return to the question.

Does “Nothing Gold Can Stay” provide the better lens for understanding Doodle? Does “The Rose That Grew from Concrete”? Or do students need both perspectives to fully understand his story?

Doodle can be both the gold that couldn’t stay and the rose that grew from concrete.

One poem helps students recognize what was fragile and fleeting.

The other asks them to recognize just how much Doodle accomplished while he was here.

Different forms.
Shared ideas.
One meaningful conversation.