By Dudley Randall
This poem is about the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist church. Where 4 children were killed
Dudley Randall wrote “Ballad of Birmingham” in 1963 to make people aware of the event that had just happened.
A young girl wanted to go outside and walk in a freedom march with her friends. But her Mother did not want her to because she thought it would be unsafe and violent.
Her mother decided to send her daughter to church and sing in the children’s choir because she thought it was safe there. So her daughter went and got bathed and dressed ready for church.
As the girl left she smiled at her mother “but that was the last smile to come upon her face”.
The effect that Dudley used, was using third person and dialogue in the same poem. This effect helped the poem by showing us emotion from the characters whilst also telling a story.
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