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We Are Seven by William Wordsworth

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A man encounters a young girl and inquires about how many brothers and sisters she has.

Poet
William Wordsworth
Core theme
Childhood
The PoemFull text

We Are Seven

William Wordsworth

A simple child, dear brother Jim, That lightly draws its breath, And feels its life in every limb, What should it know of death? I met a little cottage girl, She was eight years old, she said; Her hair was thick with many a curl That cluster’d round her head. She had a rustic, woodland air, And she was wildly clad; Her eyes were fair, and very fair, --Her beauty made me glad. “Sisters and brothers, little maid, “How many may you be?” “How many? seven in all,” she said, And wondering looked at me. “And where are they, I pray you tell?” She answered, “Seven are we, “And two of us at Conway dwell, “And two are gone to sea. “Two of us in the church-yard lie, “My sister and my brother, “And in the church-yard cottage, I “Dwell near them with my mother.” “You say that two at Conway dwell, “And two are gone to sea, “Yet you are seven; I pray you tell “Sweet Maid, how this may be?” Then did the little Maid reply, “Seven boys and girls are we; “Two of us in the church-yard lie, “Beneath the church-yard tree.” “You run about, my little maid, “Your limbs they are alive; “If two are in the church-yard laid, “Then ye are only five.” “Their graves are green, they may be seen,” The little Maid replied, “Twelve steps or more from my mother’s door, “And they are side by side. “My stockings there I often knit, “My ’kerchief there I hem; “And there upon the ground I sit-- “I sit and sing to them. “And often after sunset, Sir, “When it is light and fair, “I take my little porringer, “And eat my supper there. “The first that died was little Jane; “In bed she moaning lay, “Till God released her of her pain, “And then she went away. “So in the church-yard she was laid, “And all the summer dry, “Together round her grave we played, “My brother John and I. “And when the ground was white with snow, “And I could run and slide, “My brother John was forced to go, “And he lies by her side.” “How many are you then,” said I, “If they two are in Heaven?” The little Maiden did reply, “O Master! we are seven.” “But they are dead; those two are dead! “Their spirits are in heaven!” ’Twas throwing words away; for still The little Maid would have her will, And said, “Nay, we are seven!”

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Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A man encounters a young girl and inquires about how many brothers and sisters she has. She replies that she has seven siblings, but notes that two of them are buried in the churchyard close by. Despite the man's repeated claims that deceased siblings shouldn’t be included, the girl stands her ground: to her, they are still seven.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. A simple child, dear brother Jim, / That lightly draws its breath,

    Editor's note

    Wordsworth starts by speaking to a friend—probably Coleridge, who he refers to as 'Jim'—with a rhetorical question: how can a child, feeling so vibrantly alive, truly grasp the concept of death? This opening stanza lays the groundwork for the entire argument of the poem before the narrative even unfolds.

  2. I met a little cottage girl, / She was eight years old, she said;

    Editor's note

    The narrator presents the girl in a straightforward manner. She is eight years old, a child from a cottage, grounded in a typical, everyday life. Wordsworth avoids romanticizing her — she is just a genuine child he met.

  3. She had a rustic, woodland air, / And she was wildly clad;

    Editor's note

    The girl is portrayed as part of nature—'wildly clad' and in tune with the woods. Her beauty brings joy to the narrator. This connection to nature matters: Wordsworth connects her natural wisdom to her freedom from the taint of adult reasoning.

  4. "Sisters and brothers, little maid, / "How many may you be?"

    Editor's note

    The narrator asks a straightforward question, and the girl responds immediately: seven. Her curious gaze at him indicates that she thinks the question is somewhat odd — the answer seems clear to her.

  5. "And where are they, I pray you tell?" / She answered, "Seven are we,

    Editor's note

    The girl lays out her family in real locations: Conway, the sea, and the churchyard. She mentions the living and the dead together, without changing her tone. The churchyard is simply another spot where her family members reside.

  6. "Two of us in the church-yard lie, / "My sister and my brother,

    Editor's note

    Here, the girl begins by mentioning her deceased siblings. She and her mother reside in a cottage adjacent to the churchyard. The proximity of the living to the dead doesn’t feel morbid to her; it’s just part of her family’s landscape.

  7. "You say that two at Conway dwell, / "And two are gone to sea,

    Editor's note

    The narrator attempts to do the math aloud, encouraging her to recognize the logical contradiction. His tone is softly condescending—he believes he can convince her through straightforward counting.

  8. Then did the little Maid reply, / "Seven boys and girls are we;

    Editor's note

    She just repeats her answer. She doesn’t engage with his arithmetic because his idea—that death takes someone out of the family count—doesn’t make sense to her.

  9. "You run about, my little maid, / "Your limbs they are alive;

    Editor's note

    The narrator changes his stance: *you* are alive, *they* are not, so they shouldn't be counted. He’s relying on the tangible reality of living bodies. Yet, this is precisely the type of mature, logical reasoning the poem challenges.

  10. "Their graves are green, they may be seen," / The little Maid replied,

    Editor's note

    The girl connects with the dead through vivid, sensory details: green graves just twelve steps from her door, lined up side by side. Instead of debating philosophy, she simply shares her actions. She knits, hems her handkerchief, and sits to sing to them.

  11. "And often after sunset, Sir, / "When it is light and fair,

    Editor's note

    She eats her supper by the graves. This is the poem's most quietly powerful image: a child having her evening meal next to her deceased siblings, as if they were simply sitting there with her. Death hasn't disrupted the normal flow of family life.

  12. "The first that died was little Jane; / "In bed she moaning lay,

    Editor's note

    The girl shares the details of Jane's death in a straightforward, unemotional way — the moaning, the pain, God letting her go. She then talks about how she and her brother John played around Jane's grave during the summer. Grief and play coexist without any conflict.

  13. "And when the ground was white with snow, / "And I could run and slide,

    Editor's note

    John's death comes after Jane's. The seasonal detail of snow and sliding grounds the story in a child's real experiences. He was 'forced to go,' a phrase that reflects both the unavoidable reality of death and the girl's straightforward acceptance of it.

  14. "How many are you then," said I, / "If they two are in Heaven?"

    Editor's note

    The narrator attempts one final approach: according to the girl's own religious beliefs, the dead are *in Heaven*, not among the living. Doesn't that mean they're distinct from her family? The girl's response is swift and resolute: 'O Master! we are seven.'

  15. "But they are dead; those two are dead! / "Their spirits are in heaven!"

    Editor's note

    The narrator grows impatient and says it outright. However, Wordsworth's closing lines shift the perspective: it's the narrator who is 'throwing words away.' The girl's determination is steadfast. The poem concludes on her terms, not his — 'Nay, we are seven!' The child comes out on top in the discussion, or more accurately, she chooses not to engage in it at all.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone feels gentle and conversational at first, but there's a subtle stubbornness beneath it. The narrator exhibits patience, then determination, and finally a hint of exasperation. The girl remains calm, warm, and utterly unyielding. By the end, the poem's sympathy has shifted completely to her. Wordsworth doesn’t mock the narrator; instead, he allows the child to have the final word—and the last laugh.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The number seven
Seven represents the girl's belief that her family is whole and complete. It's not just about counting the living; it's about acknowledging everyone she has ever loved and felt connected to. The number symbolizes love's determination to resist any form of loss.
The churchyard
The churchyard is not just a place of separation; it's part of the girl's everyday life—just twelve steps from her door. It shows how the living and the dead are connected, illustrating that a child's sense of family continues even beyond the grave.
Knitting and eating supper by the graves
These everyday domestic activities carried out next to the graves indicate that the girl hasn't isolated her grief into a separate, serious space. Instead, the dead are intertwined with the rhythms of daily life, both literally and metaphorically.
The green graves
Green symbolizes life and growth. The green graves link the dead to the vibrant living world instead of decay, strengthening the girl's belief that her siblings are still present in some way.
The narrator's arithmetic
The narrator's insistence on counting — five, not seven — reflects a form of adult rationality that categorizes and divides. This perspective acts as a foil in the poem: it’s logical and neat but ultimately falls short of capturing the true essence of love and family.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic tetrameter
Rhyme
ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IJIJ KLKL MNMN OPOP QRQR STST UVUV WXWX YZYZ A1B1A1B1 C1D1C1D1 E1F1E1G1H1G1H1

§07Historical context

Historical context

Wordsworth wrote "We Are Seven" in 1798, and it was included in *Lyrical Ballads*, a collection he co-published with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is often regarded as the beginning of English Romanticism. This book marked a clear departure from the formal poetry of the 18th century. Wordsworth aimed to write about everyday people—children, shepherds, and rural workers—using straightforward language and valuing their instincts and emotions as sources of real wisdom. The girl in the poem is inspired by a real child Wordsworth encountered in Goodrich, a village in Wales. Interestingly, the opening stanza was the last part he wrote, added on Coleridge's advice. The poem encapsulates a key idea in Romantic thought about childhood: that children, being closer to nature and not yet influenced by adult reasoning, can see certain truths more clearly than adults can.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

What is the main message of 'We Are Seven'?

The poem presents the idea that love and family ties persist even after death. The girl includes her deceased siblings in her count because she sees them as part of her family. Wordsworth uses this perspective to challenge the adult belief that only the living matter, implying that the child's instinct is the more insightful viewpoint.

Who wins the argument in the poem?

The girl does, in every meaningful sense. The narrator never manages to convince her, and Wordsworth's closing lines highlight that it's the narrator who is 'throwing words away.' The poem is crafted so that the child's final 'Nay, we are seven!' stands as the ultimate statement.

Why does the girl keep saying 'seven' when two of her siblings are dead?

Because she doesn’t see death as a separation. She goes to her siblings' graves every day, sings to them, and shares her meals there. They remain a part of her life and her understanding of family. Her count of seven feels right emotionally and relationally, even if it doesn't match biological facts.

What does the poem say about childhood?

Wordsworth depicts childhood as a time of innate wisdom that adults have forgotten. The girl hasn’t learned to distinguish between the living and the dead as adult reasoning requires. Her connection to nature and her intuitive feelings provide her with a deeper understanding of love and continuity than what the educated narrator has.

What is the significance of the poem being in 'Lyrical Ballads'?

Lyrical Ballads (1798) marked a significant moment in English poetry. Wordsworth and Coleridge aimed to demonstrate that everyday topics and straightforward language could convey deep meaning. 'We Are Seven' exemplifies this beautifully: a simple chat with a village child evolves into a reflection on death, love, and the boundaries of rational thought.

Is the narrator meant to be Wordsworth himself?

The narrator is an adult traveler speaking in the first person, and it’s easy to see him as a version of Wordsworth. However, Wordsworth doesn’t actually support the narrator's viewpoint—the poem is crafted to show that the narrator is mistaken, or at least has a narrow perspective. Wordsworth exists both as a character within the poem and as the author who has intentionally set up the child to come out on top.

What is the rhyme scheme and form of the poem?

The poem uses ballad stanzas, consisting of four-line verses with a relaxed ABAB rhyme scheme and alternating lines of eight and six syllables (iambic tetrameter and trimeter). This structure reflects the style of traditional folk ballads and nursery rhymes—simple, musical, and easy to understand—which aligns with Wordsworth's goal of crafting poetry for everyday readers about everyday life.

Why does Wordsworth describe the girl's appearance in such detail?

The physical description — her curls, her 'wildly clad' look, her woodland vibe — presents her as a being of nature instead of one shaped by society. Her beauty and energy aren't merely for show; they tie her to the natural world, which Romantic thinkers see as the root of instinctual truth. She contrasts sharply with the overly civilized, overly logical adult narrator.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Wordsworth, William. "We Are Seven." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/we-are-seven-william-wordsworth/.

APA

Wordsworth, W. (n.d.). We are seven. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/we-are-seven-william-wordsworth/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In 'We Are Seven,' Wordsworth dramatizes the collision between adult rationalism and childhood's intuitive refusal to sever the living from the dead, arguing that the girl's insistence — 'we are seven' — exposes the inadequacy of a logic …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
  • Common student errors
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