Dudley Randall -- Ballad of Birmingham(1966) Response
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.
First of all, the most visible element of importance is the irony. A kid dying in a church where his mom told him to go to be safe is very ironic and it completely portrays the current situation of racial violence in the southern states. No one would want to be stuck in the mother's situation and your heart pains for her struggle.
Dialogue both begins and ends the poem. It introduced both "characters" in the poem and sets up the "plot". It then concludes the poem with the final cry from the mom. At the beginning the dialogue serves to show us the innocence of the child. He implores "Mother dearÂ…" and tried to assure his mom......
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Approximate Word Count: 715
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |