I believe the theme of William Wordsworth's poem, "We Are Seven," parallels a primary message conveyed throughout William Blake's The Songs of Innocence and The Songs of Experience. Just as Blake's songs can be interpreted as contrasting the innocent and, sometimes, naive views of children with the more rational views of adults, this idea is also suggested in the argument that occurs between the narrator and child in Wordsworth's poem.
             A common trait of Romantic literature is a high focus on imagination and this is often displayed through the thoughts and language of children. In Blake's The Songs of Innocence, the reader is able to view the world through the eyes of a child. The world is painted in sunshine and happiness with troubles being pushed away by the use of strong, youthful imagination.
             Fitting with this idea, Wordsworth's child displays a creative outlook on death that helps her to cope with a terrible aspect of the world. Rather than viewing death as an ending, she sees it as a transition. The child does not feel her lost brother and sister now exist in a world separate from her own, but, rather, that they still exist in her world, simply in an alternate form. Through the use of her imagination, this small girl is able to establish an existence for her brother and sister even after death.
             In Blake's The Songs of Experience, however, the reader learns that this childish power of imagination is not often retained in adulthood. When a person experiences the world as an adult, the picture is not so grand. Although happiness does exist, it is often hidden by clouds of pain and hardship, painting a view of the world that is often more true to life, but also one that is much more bleak.
             This idea is clearly displayed through the words of Wordsworth's narrator. As an adult, the narrator is unable to understand the child's vie
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