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.”
“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;
The little girl includes her dead brother and sister in her account of her siblings. Her use of “us” shows that she is still considering the two dead siblings to be part of the group. The frustration and disagreement of the adult shows the disconnect between adult and children. While an adult would say “there are five children and two have passed,” the child continues to assert that there are still seven of them. She claims that because she spends time with her brother and sister, and eats with them, and plays with them that they are still with her and can be considered seven children instead of five.
We Are Seven