According to the poem, the process of growing involves several key elements:
- Attaining mental maturity, where a person becomes logical, rational, and capable of forming independent thoughts and opinions
- The ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy, recognizing the difference between what is preached and what is practiced by adults, including seeing hypocrisy and double standards
- A gradual loss of innocence and simplicity that comes with childhood, as one grows to understand the complexities of life and human behavior
- The process includes stages: first differentiating reality from imagination, then realizing adult hypocrisy, and finally becoming independent and mature
- Growing up is also described as a quest for meaning and adaptation through life experiences
Thus, growing up is portrayed as a complex, ongoing process involving cognitive development, emotional understanding, and social awareness.
