Analyzing Dudley Randall's Poem 'Ballad Of Birmingham'

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John Dowd
Linda Mallen
English Composition II
April 12, 2016
Research Paper on “Ballad of Birmingham” The poem “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall, is a fine piece of literature that has a lot of significance with its literary style, and the history tied around the poem. It employs a strong sense of tragic irony to get the poem’s theme across. As the poem is set in the backdrop of the civil rights movement being based off of real events, the history emotionally charges the poem. Finally the poem uses vivid imagery to create a clear picture of innocence and sadness. From these points made it can be deduced that Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham” uses the elements of poetry well to create a beautiful poem. Dudley Randall was born …show more content…

It was based off of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963. The incident led to the deaths of 4 young African American girls, as well as injuring many others. The attack was orchestrated by the white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan. The church was attacked because of the fact that many civil rights leaders had used the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church were using it as their headquarters, and it was done as a protest to the court’s decision to desegregate the schools in Birmingham, Alabama. This attack was one of the most violent, and it was one of the saddest tragedies from the early days of the Civil Rights Movement ("Birmingham Baptist Church …show more content…

The first character of focus is the daughter character. She projects a sense of innocence into the poem, as a child has innocence. One critical analysis states that it is rather odd for a child to participate in a freedom march, rather than playing outside ("Overview: 'Ballad of Birmingham'."). However, this is possibly an example of adventure and curiosity, as she wants to be a part of the big movement that is occurring right now. Her appearance makes her seem angelic, or fairy like. She is dressed in white clothing, which is a symbol of purity in western cultures. Her sweet rose smell also makes her seem pretty, and sweet. This is her attire for church, which amplifies her angelic appearance, which is potential foreshadowing for the

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