The Coming of Wisdom With Time
By William Butler Yeats
The simplest poems can have the most advice. This poem is short,stale,and sad and i absolutely love it. People often overlook simplicity because it doesn’t look appealing on the surface, but once you crack open that egg shell it’s a warm golden verse of life.
This poem is, as it states, about time; though it’s focus is on our time in life and how different our perceptions are as we age. A young man could so see many things as right, but an old man has lived through the times of right and knows which ones are wrong. To flaunt, to show, and to want are our “leaves and flowers” with young eyes and primd faces our realities and understandings are so limited by our simplistic attractions. The saddest part of that reality is we “wither” and come to face the cruel realizations of our reality.
Though we may change in shape and size; speech and tone; body and mind; our “root” will always be our heart and soul. No matter the regrets we bear our the tragedies we try so hard to hide we grow from the experiences and the knowledge self we hold from each blow we take. but just as the hardships are there so are the good, William even knows of his blinded youth but he still “swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;” just as we should, though age has its told let us not forget the fond memories, the kindred friendships, or the long nights talking to the person of your dreams.
William did an astounding job with so few words and such a complex analogy, an amazing author that ever drives me to continue following poetry and the many different styles and interpretations.
By Drew Bradley
