The speaker of “We Are Seven” recalls a conversation with a young girl who insists that there are seven children in her family, despite the fact that two of them have passed away. The speaker insists that, logically, there are now only five children in her family, and portrays the little girl as unable to fully comprehend death. In doing so, the speaker suggests that childhood innocence gives rise to a blissful yet limited understanding of the world, while adults are left to grapple with life’s harsh realities.