威廉·華茲華斯 我們是七個/摘要和解釋
詩歌的開頭，說話者問一個充滿生命力的簡單孩子，他們能知道多少關於死亡的事情。然後他遇到一個八歲的小女孩，她有著濃密捲曲的頭髮。她很粗俗，但卻非常美麗，讓敘述者感到快樂。他問她有多少兄弟姐妹，她回答說包括她在內，有七個。
———A simple Child, 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 clustered 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.
說話者接著問孩子她的兄弟姐妹在哪裡。她回答說“我們有七個”，並告訴他，有兩個在康威鎮，兩個在海上，兩個躺在教堂墓地裡。她和她的母親住在墳墓附近。
“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.”
敘述者感到困惑，問她他們怎麼會是七個。說話者的計算結果與女孩的計算結果不一致。說話者說，如果兩個死了，那麼只剩下五個了。小女孩告訴他，她仍然花時間和已經去世的兄弟姐妹在一起，這讓詩人感到震驚。
"You say that two at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea, Yet ye 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, And sing a song to them. “And often after sun-set, Sir, When it is light and fair, I take my little porringer, And eat my supper there.
小女孩解釋說，首先她的姐姐簡因病去世了。這個女孩認為死亡讓她的姐姐解脫了痛苦和折磨。她和她的弟弟約翰在簡的墳墓旁玩耍，直到約翰也去世了。她說，現在約翰躺在了簡的旁邊，這樣他們就一直在一起了。
The first that dies was sister 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, when the grass was 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.”
這個人再次問她有多少兄弟姐妹，因為有兩個已經死了。她仍然固執地聲稱她有七個兄弟姐妹。這個人試圖說服她說，“但是他們死了”，但他意識到自己的話是浪費的。這首詩以小女孩說“不，我們有七個！”而結束。
How many are you, then,” said I, “If they two are in heaven?” Quick was the little Maid’s 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!”
解釋
這首詩是男人和一個小女孩之間有趣對話。它特別引人入勝，因為對話本來可以不到五行，但它卻長達69行。男人無法接受這樣一個事實，即小女孩仍然覺得她有七個兄弟姐妹，即使她的兩個兄弟姐妹已經去世了。說話者以一個問題開始這首詩：一個孩子能知道多少關於死亡的事情。在開頭，看起來小女孩似乎對死亡的理解很少。她似乎對兄弟姐妹的死亡感到否認，尤其是因為她聲稱她仍然花時間和他們在一起。在她眼中，生與死的界限消失了。她的兄弟姐妹仍然在她生命中存在。然而，到詩歌的結尾，讀者不禁會感到，也許小女孩比她正在談話的男人更瞭解生命和死亡。她拒絕讓自己因悲傷而變得無能為力，或將死者趕出她的生命。相反，她接受了事物會改變的事實，並盡她所能快樂地生活下去。