At the beginning of the semester we learned about William Wordsworth, who was a Romantic poet during the 18th century. We learned of Wordsworth because we read the “Lucy Gray” poems. Before Wordsworth wrote these Lucy poems however, he wrote a first edition poetry book titled “Lyrical Ballads.” Having had the pleasure to read some of his first edition poetry my senior year of high school, I remember a specific poem that stood out in my memory and touched my heart. “We Are Seven” is a lyrical poem that Wordsworth wrote in the 1790’s. It is a poem that I think teaches a very important lesson that everyone could use in daily life. I liked this poem so much that it felt necessary to share with others who might not normally read it (I highly suggest looking it up).

The narrator in the poem meets a little girl of the age of 8, and he asks her about her siblings. The little girl replies “seven are we,” which was a typical family size for that time period. The little girl then goes on to explain that two are away at Conway (a place in Western Europe), and that two stay away at sea. The final two laying the church yard where she looks after them (they passed away). The narrator is confused, and he asks her again “How are there seven of you?” The girl explains the situation again, two by two by two. She states it plain and simple, with no confusion or doubt. The man explains that they are now five, because two siblings are resting in heaven. Yet once again, the little girl states confidently, “Nay! We are seven!”

This poem is beautiful to me because it represents family. Without bringing higher powers into the picture (I don’t want to get into issues like that), it shows how a family can stay together even through death. The little girl’s basic message is that even though she has lost two siblings, it doesn’t matter because they are still alive to her. She can still remember what she learned from them. I love this message because the deeper meaning, to me, is that we never forget. A family member, friend, teacher, acquaintance, or random person could pass away, yet they never really leave. Life lessons and memories are alive so long as the person who experienced them still remembers. It’s also beautiful because a little girl at the age of 8, the age of innocence, is able to recognize this lesson before an older, experienced person. I think Wordsworth uses a young child on purpose, to bring to the reader’s attention of how we sometimes neglect the knowledge of the youth. He wants us to realize that we could always stand to listen to advice, even if we don’t agree, because we will remember it just in case we change our minds. I know I personally have learned things from people that I will never forget. And whether or not they are still physically breathing doesn’t matter, because I will always remember what I have learned from them.