Analyzing Dudley Randall's Poem 'Ballad Of Birmingham'

The tragic poem, “The Ballad of Birmingham,” begins with a young child asking an imploring question to her mother, “May I go downtown instead of out to play” (Randall, 669)?

“But you may go to church instead” (Randall,15) a mother thought her child would be safer in such a sacred place rather than being a part of the march that just might have been safer. The poem “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall, has multiple themes, but the one that sticks out is violence, which is because it is so powerful and brings the whole poem together. There is also a lot of imagery shown through this whole poem that can put a horrible picture in your head because of how sad the poem really is.

In 1963 a bomb went of in a church in Birmingham that killed 4 little girls. And a poem called ‘Ballad of Birmingham’ (written in 1969), and states some things that happened that day. In stanza 5 the author writes “She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair. And bathered rose petal sweet, And drawn white gloves an her small brown hands, and white shoes on her feet. This discribes on of the young black

In 'Ballad of Birmingham,' Dudley Randall illustrates a conflict between a child who wishes to march for civil rights and a mother who wishes only to protect her child. Much of this poem is read as dialogue between a mother and a child, a style which gives it an intimate tone and provides insight to the feelings of the characters. Throughout the poem the child is eager to go into Birmingham and march for freedom with the people there. The mother, on the other hand, is very adamant that the child should not go because it is dangerous. It is obvious that the child is concerned about the events surrounding the march and wants to be part of the movement. The child expresses these feelings in a way

A girl, so very young, who already knows what a freedom march means has no idea what she will experience. A scared mother who does not want her little girl to see what is going on has no idea what is fixing to happen. Randall Dudley’s “Ballad of Birmingham,” gives a clear vision of what happened this day in 1963. The bombing at the 16th street baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama was a tragic event for the ones in this time. The poem shows the social and historical context of what exactly was going on during this time.

In the poem “Ballad of Birmingham”, by Dudley Randall, many different things can be analyzed. The difference in the two translations; one being a literal translation, telling the true meaning of the poem, and the other being a thematic translation, which tells the author’s theme and symbolism used in his/her work. Another thing that all poets have in common is the usage of poetic devices; such as similes, metaphors, and personification.

     The Ballad of Birmingham resembles a traditional ballad in that it tells a story in a song-like manner. The didactic tone seeks to teach us something; in this case it’s the theme of needless destruction. There are many devices the author uses to create such a tone and to tell such a story.

We as humans are very susceptible to fear. Among the most common fears are storms, the dark, heights, spiders, and snakes. But these things frighten us instinctively. The fear is natural, originating from ancient times where lightning could mean the end of your home, the dark could hold dangerous predators, heights could prove poor footing lethal, and a small bite from a spider or a snake could mean certain death. What about the fear of others? We are comfortable with calling people evil when they commit a horrible crime. We refuse to consider that any normal person is capable of such things when in reality, they’re only human.

This poem covers the prevalent themes of racism and the terroristic acts his people has faced his for years. Dudley Randall’s works have been affected by multiple events even if they weren’t

Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham” is a look into the effects of racism on a personal level. The poem is set in Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The tone of the title alludes to the city of Birmingham as a whole. The poem gives the reader, instead, a personal look into a tragic incident in the lives of a mother and her daughter. The denotation of the poem seems to simply tell of the sadness of a mother losing her child. The poem’s theme is one of guilt, irony, and the grief of losing a child. The mother feels responsible for the death of her child. The dramatic irony of the mother’s view of church as being a “safe haven” for her child is presented to the reader through the mother’s insistence that the young girl

The poem that I have selected for this essay is “Talking to Grief” by Denise Levertov. I chose this poem because it talks about grief. It also talks about the place that grief should have in a person’s life. The poem describes grief, and compares it to a “homeless dog.” It also describes how a dog deserves its own place in the house, instead of living under a porch or being homeless. This poem talks about how a person can be aware that grief is present, but that it is not always acknowledged and accepted. We all experience grief in different ways, and for different reasons. Everyone deals with grief in their own personal way. This poem describes a point in a person’s life when they are ready to accept grief as a part of their life

In the “Ballad of Birmingham,” the main speaker is a 3rd person with a limited point of view. This 3rd person describes the bombing as unexpected and terrifying for the mother. The speaker’s description of the bombing reveals about the devastation and regret the mother feels for sending her child to church. The sets of repeating statements between the mother and child in the first four stanzas, and the violent imagery that plays into the irony of the situation further exemplify the feelings of guilt and loss that the mother expresses. The repetition of "mother," "march the streets of Birmingham," "baby," "no," and "child" project the respect and love both the mother and her child have for each other.

Ballad of Birmingham, written by the poet Dudley Randall relives a tragic moment in time in which four little girls died when a church was purposefully exploded. This poem is based on the incident that occurred in Birmingham, Alabama. This poem vividly shows the perspective of a mother losing her child. Most of the poem includes a mother daughter discussion regarding the participation of the freedom march. The mother explains to her daughter that it is far too dangerous for her to be participate, therefore she sends her daughter to church, where she believes that she would be safe. The mother later hears of the explosion and runs over to find out that her daughter had been killed by noticing her daughter’s shoe on the ground. In Ballad of Birmingham, Dudley Randall uses voice, imagery, and sound to show how the tragic event revolves around a theme of racism/mother’s love, which most readers can empathize to.

The perceived and potential threat for street violence is a significant social issue and has led to public fear; it has been imbedded so deep within our minds that it is almost instinctual to be constantly on the lookout for danger when out of the home. Beginning in early childhood through learning about ‘stranger danger’, (Foster 2015), children, particularly females, are being taught to avoid certain situations because of this fear. According to Jackson (2009), there is a sense of control, comfortability and familiarity within the home, and it is the unknown and a

Violence is something that will always be there, whether it be right up in your face, on a battlefield, or creeping in the darkness, sowing the seeds of despair and resentment in humanity’s hearts, forever changing the landscape of your life to come. Violence has vigorously torn apart relationships that have lasted centuries, all because of a single gunshot, which has led to massive bloodshed, and the loss of many loved ones. Violence is a part of a cycle that is necessary in life, but would rather be avoided, which is why I am here, to help diminish that cycle of hatred, through the power of prevention through education, and self control.