In the poem Ballad of Birmingham, by Dudley Randall, written
in 1969, Mr. Randall uses of irony to describes the events of the mothers decision,
and also her concern for the welfare of her darling little child. It seems odd that this
child would even know what a freedom march is, but this would be considered
normal back in the early 1960's, when Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. had rallies and
freedom marches to free the African American people from discrimination and
segregation (Hunter 6). It also seems very ironic that the young child is acting like
an adult in this particular situation (Hunter 12). I think the mother would be the one
who would want to got to the march to free her people, not the child. In the poem
'Ballad of Birmingham', by Dudley Randall, written in 1969, Mr. Randall uses tone
and irony to describe the events of the mothers decisions, and as well as her concern
for her child's well being.
In the first stanza irony is used in order to make reading the
poem more interesting. The situation in this first stanza is also very important. The
little child is in a desperate situation and wants to help better the lives of the African
Americans. Randall also focuses on specific culture here. The speaker is allowing
the reader to make a mental picture of one specific march in Birmingham (Hunter
17). But, you know as well as I, that with peace marches and rallies comes violence
and hostility. This is exactly what the little girls mother is afraid of, this is why she
will not let her go to the march. It also seems weird that her mother is so sure that
going to church, instead of going to the march, will be...