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

The most important thing about this poem is that it didn't actually happen. It reflects Wordsworth's sentimental view of the world: it wasn't a real incident.

He was inspired by a grave which bore the inscription - "We are Seven" in the Church yard in Conway, North Wales. It would be an astonishing coincidence if he actually met a girl near Conway who used exactly the same words.

The first lines were apparently contributed by his friend Coleridge, but changed later to remove the "Brother Jim" reference perhaps because "Brother Jim" told him, "There is one poem in it which I earnestly entrate you will cancel, for, if published, it will make you ever lastingly ridiculous."

"Girl on a Footbridge" was painted by Alexej Harlamoff (1842-1922)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• We
• Are
• Seveny
• William
• Wordsworth

[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

[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.

[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....

[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"

[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.

[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.