Peace That Transcends Understanding

 Wordsworth’s poem, “We Are Seven”, is a short and simple ballad that packs a heavier punch than it appears to have. I really enjoyed reading the dialogue between the man (the narrator) and the little cottage girl with thick curly hair. As I was reading, I found myself wondering why this name was interrogating the little girl about her siblings so much. He insisted upon bursting her innocence and having her accept the fact that she no longer had seven siblings, but five. He seems to get frustrated halfway through the poem when the little girl won’t abandon the idea that all of her siblings are still there. At the end of the poem, the narrator realizes that there is no changing her mind and he describes trying to sway her was a waste of his breath, saying “’twas throwing words away; for still the little maid would have her will.” The little girl’s persistence had me rooting for her. I wanted her to keep her innocence. I couldn't help but feel that the man was evil for even trying to shake this little girl’s innocent and pure faith. Why was he even talking to her in the first place? For this reason, I was very satisfied with the last line of the poem, “Nay, we are seven!” She got the last word. She won. This symbolizes that if there is a will to keep one’s innocence and pure mindset and there is a strong faith to back it, it is possible to fight off and defeat this world’s dark and cruel ideologies.

  I couldn't help but be captivated by this little girl. She describes her sister’s death by saying “In bed she moaning lay; Till God released her of her pain, and then she went away.” This is a very peaceful understanding of death, and it was surprising to me that it came from an 8 year old girl. It often takes adults many years to view death as a resting place for their loved ones rather than a dark gloomy end. She knew something about death that the man didn't. His words didn't matter to her. She had an understanding and peace the surpassed his understanding, and that was something that could not be shaken.