The Coming of Wisdom with Time

William Butler Yeats

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.

     Although it's a short poem, it definitely doesn't lack any meaning.  The picture of the tree (on the right) is the visual image I had while reading the poem.  I interpreted the first line as Yeats comparing himself to a tree.  As a tree grows, it loses leaves but, in time, grows new ones.  The same is comparable to a person.  As a person grows, they gain new thoughts, ideas, or wisdom.  In both cases, they are still either a tree or person, but with change.  The second and third lines are about childhood and how carefree children live.  As a child, you would go with the flow or in this case, the breeze.  In the last line, I believed Yeats is saying wisdom and truth will eventually destroy you.