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Ballad Of Birmingham By Dudley Randall

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In the poem “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall, the author describes how a daughter wants to go to a march happening in the streets, but her mother’s refuses because of the extreme acts of violence from the police officers when countering the protesters. Her daughter tells her mother that she is going to be with other infants who also want to attend the protest. However, her mother still insists on not allowing her to go, but instead tells her to go to church, where her safety is assured. The theme of violence plays a crucial part in the "Ballad of Birmingham." In the poem, the young girl wants to join in the marches happening in downtown, but her mother can’t let her go due to the threat of police retribution against protesters.

When the daughter asks her mother to let her go to the march, her mother’s reply is the description of the devices that police officers uses to counter the protesters. The mother is very reluctant towards her daughter’s decision of joining the march happening on the streets of Birmingham. According to Randall, the mother describes the outcomes of the march as the following, “For the dogs are fierce and wild, / and clubs and hoses, guns and jails / Aren’t good for a little child” (6-8). These lines are reflecting the fear that African-American women are facing during such events. They are opposed towards the idea of going to the march because they understand what the outcomes will be, facing the violence from the police officers. Moreover, the

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