"We Are Seven" by William Wordsworth (poetry reading)

[skillless]

For some reason, you reminds me of T.S. Eliot's reading of prufrock.

[vickiehill1]

Wow...I have not heard this poem in years. It is one of my favorites. I love all poems, but I think the simpler, rhyming ones are so very beautiful ...& nothing could be more true. Not even death can separate us from those we love.

[ccbs82]

Wouldn't it have been great if he had a small child read the part of the little girl.

[lagoondiver]

This gave me goosebumps when I had finished reading it.

[sorsaria]

What a lovely reading of one of my favorite poems. I had never seen this poem with the "brother Jim" part. I have to admit, I like how it flows with it included much better than without.

[fufufuyen]

The poem really made me feel what the poet intended me to feel (as I have researched) and it's great.

[fufufuyen]

It's very interesting to hear a reading, thank you. I will subscribe.

[dineshssairam]

A simple child, dear brother Jim,

That lightly draws its breath,

And feel its life in every limb,

What should he know of death?

Wordsworth - As elegant as ever!

[KopaFan]

This was a nice find. I remember reading this poem as a girl in an old magazine my late grandmother had laying around. She said I could keep it and I used a pen to illustrate the border with doodles based off the words. By my reckoning I had decided the two at sea in the poem were brothers, sailors and the two at Conway were sisters that had married as the little girl I thought lived with her mother without other siblings save for the dead ones. I was a odd kid. Not sure what happen to the poem.

[DanGuerrer0]

I was doing some research and it appears that the grave was not the cause of his inspiration? Apparently he was inspired to write this poem when he had a conversation with a little girl in Goodrich Castle.

[truemidnightfantasy]

@DanGuerrer0 I also saw this. I researched this for a project and there is a note from Wordsworth where he mentions meeting the girl five years before he wrote the poem.

[ashburnhouse]

Is that Ted Hughes reading?

[SpokenVerse]

@ashburnhouse No, there's only my voice in this channel. I hope you will listen to a few more -with my regards, Tom

[wcjones451]

I don't believe that because something is sentimental it is necessarily "pulp"...

[AdytaShakespeare]

What an enchanting poem, by an extraordinary poet, read by your beautiful, sentimental voice.

Happy World Poetry Day!

[HPNweirdsis]

Beautiful poem, and your rendering of it delightful.

[esrapk]

I heard this today at English class and everyone was just laughing and talking to each other, but I listened and the poem almost made me cry. This is a beautiful poem

[leawindle]

here here... "the excellence of your readings leaves you little to fear"

[LuckyMucher]

Great readings, keep em' coming.

[TheInterest]

'Nay, we are seven'

Amazing. Simply amazing.

[TheLanguageSculptor]

Such a moving poem!

[sharonmary]

i know it is pretty much sentimental pulp, but i do think it is quite sweet - the language is descriptive, and it does illustrate the little girl quite nicely. But, yeah, not one of his better ones.

[SpokenVerse]

There's nothing false about the fact that children often died in those days. Half of all children died before the age of 5 in the poorer classes and their chances were not much better if their parents were rich. Many poems of the time were about children dying. The Victorians saw children as ephemeral beings and subject to Divine Will.

[paulmercy]

I understand it didn't really happen. Nevertheless, I find myself distracted by the dynamic of a grown man arguing with an eight-year-old over her wish to preserve the memory of her recently passed siblings. The sentimentality of it pales beside my urge to step in and tell Wordsworth to show some tact for Pete's sake!

[polymath7]

Ratings disabled? What on Earth for?

I assure you, the excellence of your readings leaves you little to fear.

[SpokenVerse]

Thanks for your kind words. The problem is that only one viewer in 300 leaves a rating. Ratings are disabled to encourage viewers to make a criticism instead, not to protect my precious ego from One Star Willy....