The Poem Ballad Of Birmingham By Dudley Randall
The poem of “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall discusses African American girl who wants to join the march for the civil rights movement, but her mother insists it is too dangerous. As a alternative, the mother persauades her daughter to go to church for safety purpose; however, the white terrorists bomb the church. When the mother is desperately searching for her daughter, she finds only her daughter's shoes to be remained at the shattered church.The form, the meaning, and the settling of the poem assists the reader to comprehend deeper meaning of the poem. enhance the reader's ability This poem is based on an actual historical incident that happened in Birmingham- the bombing of the grace street Baptist church four little African-American girls were killed in the bombing. The word “Ballad” from the title suggests it is a ballad or narrative poem that depicts the discrimination down in the south during the early 60s. Throughout the poem, the poet uses ending rhymes in the 2nd and 4th lines of each stanza. Therefore, it is an ABCB rhyme scheme. For example,
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“play” and “today” have the same ending rhyme (2 and 4). Another example would be “wild” and “child” has the same ending rhyme (6 and 8). The same ending rhyme also happens on “sweet” and “feet” (18 and 20) as well as “place and “face” (22 and 24). The effect of the these rhymes gives readers a playful tone with a dramatic ending. Randell uses the literary devices of repetition and assonance to highlight his poem. For example, “No, baby, no, you may not go” is repeated in lines 5 and 13 with the same long “o” sound at the end of each word. Randell repeats this line in order to let the reader understand that the mother is concerned with her daughter’s safety. In addition, Randell uses everyday language to write the poem, so all level readers can understand his message thoroughly. Lasltly,this is closed form poem because it is a ballad. The poem has 8 stanzas and 4 lines per stanza or quatrain. The poet expolores discrimination and love. First, the white terrorists are killing people of color, regardless of whether they join the march or not. Second, this poem examines the nurture of development and motherhood. For instance, “No, baby, no you may not go” (5) shows the mother is concerned about the march, which may endanger her daughter's safety. She worries about the violence and experience of death that could happen to her daughter in the march. Therefore, she is a responsible mother, who thinks ahead aboit what is going to happen to her daughter in the very near future.Moreover, the mother calls her daughter “baby” and this shows that the mother places her children an important position in her heart. Another example of motherhood would be when the mother takes care of her children’s physical appearance. For instance, “She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair/and bathed rose petal sweet’ (13 and 14). This demonstrate that the mother wants her daughter to appear to be well-groomed in front of public. Randal uses ironies throughout the poem.
For example, “Mother dear, may I go downtown/instead of out to play/and march the streets of Birmingham” (1-4). The little girl asks her mother if she can join the march rather than playing with her friend instead.It is ironic because a little girl behaves and thinks like an adult. Another ironic incident is that the mother prepares to dress her daughter in white clothing in order to attend church; however, her daughter gets bombed in the church. For instance, “And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands/and white shoes on her feet/for she heard the explosion” (19, 20, 25). Therefore, her daughter's white clothing for church ended up as a funeral dress instead. The mother puts white clothing on her children because white symbolize purity and innocence. She wants her children to dress like an angel; however, the white terrorists kill her
daughter.
Randell use metaphor to reveal the narrator's identity, imagery to describe violence and unfairness society in United States, and tone to display emotional reaction response of the mother and her daughter in the poem. For example, “She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair” (17). Randell uses metaphor to compare the night and her daughter’s black hair. This reveals the racial identity of the little girl is African-American. Secondly, imagery show in the stanza two, the words “fierce,” “wild,” “dog,” “clubs,” “guns,” and “jail” are associated with violence and corruption. In wild, dog is known as an fierce animal. In emergency, police response to protesters with guns on air, handcap several protesters, and warn protesters any serious action would result in jail. In stanza five, “rose petal sweet” is associated with a pleasant mood. In the stanza seven, the words “explosion” is associated with bomb and injuries. Finally, the tone of the first stanza is neutral because the little girl asks her mother if she can go to the march. The tone of the second stanza is fearful because the mother worries about her children’s safety. The tone of the third stanza is the little girl is unhappy about her mother’s decision. The tone of the 7th and 8th stanza is dismayed because the mother hears the bomb exploding in the church and she is digging in the ground to find her children. One important part of the poem is Church is not necessary the safest place to hide. In lines 21-22 “The mother smiled to know her child/was in the sacred place” Church is a holy place where individuals can feel safe and secure. In fact, many illegal immigrants in America stay in churches in order to avoid being arrested by police and deported back to their native countries. In Christian based countries, a church is a sanctuary that serves as a shelter for refugees. Many refugees stay inside the church because soldiers are less likelyhood to hit such holy site due to religious beliefs. Similarly, the mother has the same thought that the church is a safe location for her daughter to avoid such violence and racial discrimination. It proves that whether you stay inside safe shell, you still can experience violence as those couragous warrior who join the march to ease the racial discrimination.
“play” and “today” have the same ending rhyme (2 and 4). Another example would be “wild” and “child” has the same ending rhyme (6 and 8). The same ending rhyme also happens on “sweet” and “feet” (18 and 20) as well as “place and “face” (22 and 24). The effect of the these rhymes gives readers a playful tone with a dramatic ending. Randell uses the literary devices of repetition and assonance to highlight his poem. For example, “No, baby, no, you may not go” is repeated in lines 5 and 13 with the same long “o” sound at the end of each word. Randell repeats this line in order to let the reader understand that the mother is concerned with her daughter’s safety. In addition, Randell uses everyday language to write the poem, so all level readers can understand his message thoroughly. Lasltly,this is closed form poem because it is a ballad. The poem has 8 stanzas and 4 lines per stanza or quatrain. The poet expolores discrimination and love. First, the white terrorists are killing people of color, regardless of whether they join the march or not. Second, this poem examines the nurture of development and motherhood. For instance, “No, baby, no you may not go” (5) shows the mother is concerned about the march, which may endanger her daughter's safety. She worries about the violence and experience of death that could happen to her daughter in the march. Therefore, she is a responsible mother, who thinks ahead aboit what is going to happen to her daughter in the very near future.Moreover, the mother calls her daughter “baby” and this shows that the mother places her children an important position in her heart. Another example of motherhood would be when the mother takes care of her children’s physical appearance. For instance, “She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair/and bathed rose petal sweet’ (13 and 14). This demonstrate that the mother wants her daughter to appear to be well-groomed in front of public. Randal uses ironies throughout the poem.
For example, “Mother dear, may I go downtown/instead of out to play/and march the streets of Birmingham” (1-4). The little girl asks her mother if she can join the march rather than playing with her friend instead.It is ironic because a little girl behaves and thinks like an adult. Another ironic incident is that the mother prepares to dress her daughter in white clothing in order to attend church; however, her daughter gets bombed in the church. For instance, “And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands/and white shoes on her feet/for she heard the explosion” (19, 20, 25). Therefore, her daughter's white clothing for church ended up as a funeral dress instead. The mother puts white clothing on her children because white symbolize purity and innocence. She wants her children to dress like an angel; however, the white terrorists kill her
daughter.
Randell use metaphor to reveal the narrator's identity, imagery to describe violence and unfairness society in United States, and tone to display emotional reaction response of the mother and her daughter in the poem. For example, “She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair” (17). Randell uses metaphor to compare the night and her daughter’s black hair. This reveals the racial identity of the little girl is African-American. Secondly, imagery show in the stanza two, the words “fierce,” “wild,” “dog,” “clubs,” “guns,” and “jail” are associated with violence and corruption. In wild, dog is known as an fierce animal. In emergency, police response to protesters with guns on air, handcap several protesters, and warn protesters any serious action would result in jail. In stanza five, “rose petal sweet” is associated with a pleasant mood. In the stanza seven, the words “explosion” is associated with bomb and injuries. Finally, the tone of the first stanza is neutral because the little girl asks her mother if she can go to the march. The tone of the second stanza is fearful because the mother worries about her children’s safety. The tone of the third stanza is the little girl is unhappy about her mother’s decision. The tone of the 7th and 8th stanza is dismayed because the mother hears the bomb exploding in the church and she is digging in the ground to find her children. One important part of the poem is Church is not necessary the safest place to hide. In lines 21-22 “The mother smiled to know her child/was in the sacred place” Church is a holy place where individuals can feel safe and secure. In fact, many illegal immigrants in America stay in churches in order to avoid being arrested by police and deported back to their native countries. In Christian based countries, a church is a sanctuary that serves as a shelter for refugees. Many refugees stay inside the church because soldiers are less likelyhood to hit such holy site due to religious beliefs. Similarly, the mother has the same thought that the church is a safe location for her daughter to avoid such violence and racial discrimination. It proves that whether you stay inside safe shell, you still can experience violence as those couragous warrior who join the march to ease the racial discrimination.