天山山下牧牛羊

Though leaves are many, the root is one;

Through all the lying days of my youth

I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;

Now I may wither into the truth.

Analysis:  (from Elite skills Classics)

1. The poem describes the foolishness of youth. When a person is young, the world is full of possibility and mystery.

2. Through all the lying days of my youth.” Children are lied to for their entire childhood in many different ways.

3. The final line, “Now I may wither into the truth,” is representative of the sad reality of adulthood.

4. The poem uses a tree as a metaphor(隱喻) for life. The flowers represent beauty and lies and the root is symbolic of truth and adulthood. The withering of the flowers represents an ending to the lies and the beauty in the world.

5. The poem is describing how hard truths put an end to the foolishness of youth.