Abstract
The paper discusses Dudley Randall's poem, "Ballad of Birmingham," with an emhasis on the irony in the poem.

From the Paper
"In Dudley Randall's poem "Ballad of Birmingham" he actively portrays the life and death of one young girl in the space of eight quatrains. Martin Luther King Jr's church in Birmingham, Alabama was actually bombed by white terrorists. Four little girls died in the explosion. This poem is based on the real life events of that attack."

Tags:dudley randall, balad of birmingham, irony, martin luther king

Abstract
This paper provides an explication of the Dudley Randall poem "Ballad of Birmingham." The poem was written as a tribute to the lives lost when white racists bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama, killing four young black girls and wounding twenty others.

From the Paper
"Imagine four young girls attending Sunday school in their finest clothes-Denise McNair Cynthia Wesley Carole Robertson and Addie MaeCollins aged .... to ...- safe in Church despite the Civil Rights chaos around them on the streets of Birmingham, Alabama. (Brunner) Imagine the shock and horror among the parents and friends of these four girls as bomb ripped through the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on September ... killing all four and wounding twenty others. (Brunner) It is the shock and horror of one of the most heinous..."

Tags:atmosphere, tone, speaker, imagery, allusion, prejudice, African Americans, Civil Rights movement, violence, sacred

Abstract
The paper compares and contrasts Randall's "Ballad of Birmingham" with Cofer's "Quinceanera".

From the Paper
"One of the subjects that is often addressed in poetry is the rite of passage between childhood and adolescence, the literal and figurative period in which the individual comes of age and assumes some of the responsibilities of adulthood. Two poems that deal with this issue, although from different perspectives, are the focus of the present analysis. The first poem is Judith Ortiz Cofer's "Quinceanera" which describes the sixteenth birthday celebration of a Hispanic girl and its meaning both practically and psychologically. The second..."

Tags:Judith Ortiz Cofer, Quinceanera, Dudley Randall, Ballad of Birmingham

Abstract
"Ballad of Birmingham" is a poem written about a mother that tells her daughter to not march in the streets and allows her to go to a church. Sadly, the girl is killed at the church. This actually happened in Birmingham in 1963.

Abstract
By analyzing and comparing traditional and modern ballads, some characteristics of traditional ballads imitated by modern ballad writers can be found. The examples of the former are "Sir Patrick Spens" and "Lord Rendal," and those of the latter are "The Murder of Maria Marten" and "Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall. The discussion of the similarities between these four ballads in this paper focuses on the structure of a ballad stanza, the use of repetition and the manner of story-telling.

From the Paper
"Another interesting similarity between the ages of ballads is in the objectivity in which the stories are told. The composer has little emotional reactions and the focus is on the events of the story rather than the effects on the storyteller. In a ballad, therefore, the personality of the narrator is not important. The dialogue in "Ballad of Birmingham," which takes place between a mother and her young daughter, gives an example of a rhyme using a question and answer pattern (Laws 59-60). The little girl asks if she may "go downtown" to join "a Freedom March today?" and the mother answers, "No, baby, no, you may not go" ("Ballad of Birmingham" 1, 4-5)."

Tags:literary, broadside, reiteration

Abstract
The paper discusses the movie "The Ballad of Narayama" (Narayama Bushiko), directed by Shohei Imamura, which portrays both an image of rural 19th century Japanese life and values, and the forces that began to change and shape this society. The paper comments that the movie is based on the book of the same name by novelist Fukasawa, which in turn was derived from an ancient folktale about a society in which the members traditionally abandon their elderly to die of exposure on a mountain top. The paper notes that from this evidence, we can then assume that Imamura brought this fictional legend to screen in order to present, perhaps even to the point of embellishment, the historical Japanese tradition of individual sacrifice for the good of the whole. This paper analyzes first Imamura's practice of appropriating natural images in order to explain the values and lives of the villagers, and secondly, his meticulous portrayal of the intricate relationships and attitudes present in both the family and village of traditional 19th century Japan.

From the Paper
"This internal conflict between the more modern humanism and historical Japanese personal sacrifice for the group as personified in Tatsuhei must have resonated with the 1930's audience of Japan, who were, at the time, in the midst of a war, and performing many personal sacrifices of their own on behalf of their country. It raised enough of a response in Europe also, who were then declaring the death of capitalism, and making a move to socialism, to win the grand prize at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France."

Tags:grudgingly, naturalistic, prestigious, Cannes, film, festival

Abstract
Dr. Martin Luther King was one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. His pursuit of justice for African-Americans and humanity was unparalleled. On various occasions, Dr. King was imprisoned for his beliefs and his position on civil disobedience.
This paper examines Dr. King's letter to clergymen from the Birmingham City Jail. It examines why the letter was written and why King was in Birmingham. It also discusses Dr. King's stance on direct action, timing and just and unjust laws. Finally, the paper examines why Dr. King was dismayed by the conduct of some Blacks and the church during the civil rights era.

From the Paper
"Dr. King wrote this letter to the clergymen of the city in response to criticism that he had received about his presence in the city. (King) Many of the clergy thought that the protest that King was engaging in was "unwise and untimely" King sought to explain to the clergymen why he felt that he actions were both necessary and unavoidable. (King) He seemed to hope that this letter would aid the men in understanding his actions.

In the letter, King explains that he was invited to Birmingham by an affiliate organization called the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. (King) King explains that as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference it was his duty to share staff, financial and educational resources with the affiliate organizations. In addition, King had come to the understanding that there were certain injustices being perpetuated upon Blacks in the city. He felt that these injustices needed to be examined and dealt with."

Tags:Alabama, Christian, Movement, segregation

Abstract
This paper rhetorically analyzes Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail", and his great blend of logic and emotion. It describes the human rights demonstrations of that time. The paper illustrates how this letter states the goals and struggles of the African-American civil rights movement and the blind ignorance of the southern whites.

From the Paper
"History will remember Martin Luther King, Jr. as one of the greatest writers and speakers of the twentieth century. He carefully blended logic and theory with passion and force to mold his eloquent ideas into formidable arguments. One of his greatest works is his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." This letter was written in response to an public statement composed by eight Alabama clergyman. The original document questioned and denounced the recent human rights demonstrations by Negro citizens. While in jail, King read this statement in a newspaper and proceeded to write his rebuttal, a lengthy yet concise perspective of the current racial strife. This rebuttal turned into the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail", a desegregationalist's discussion of the civil rights movement. King's letter focuses on his responsibilities and goals, the Negro's struggles and hopes, and the white man's ignorance and resistance."

Tags:black, civil, liberties, logic, negro, rhetorical, rights

Abstract
This paper uses three works of literature as a means of exploring how each work responds to racism and prejudice in American society: 1) James Baldwin's poem "Harlem," 2) Randall Dudley's poem "Ballad of Birmingham," and 3) Lorraine Hansberry's drama "A Raisin in the Sun."

From the Paper
"Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person or group of people based on prejudice. In American history African Americans were subjected to great oppression and discrimination. The injustices visited upon Blacks came to a head during the.... s and ....s leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Prior to this oppression violence and discrimination were routine for Blacks in American society. This history of discrimination is captured in a variety of works of art including Langston Hughes' poem 'Harlem', Dudley Randall's ..."

Tags:violence, oppression, prejudice, marginalization, dreams, opportunities, American Dream

Abstract
The paper examines Randall's poems,"Ballad of Birmingham," "A Poet is Not a Jukebox," and "The Profile on the Pillow" and how they demonstrate his style and ability. The paper highlights the powerful imagery, symbolism and rhythm in these poems as well as the overriding theme of love.

From the Paper
"Baxter Miller writes that Randall grew up during the Harlem Renaissance, where he was obviously inspired with not only current events and issues but also artistic expression. Randall was a "poet of the next generation, and later, he helped to pioneer a third poetic era during the 1960s" (Miller). Randall explored "racial and historical themes, introspective and self-critical, his work combines ideas and forms from Western traditional poetry as well as from the Harlem Renaissance movement" (Miller). Randall was also an editor and publisher, which made him "invaluable to the Afro-American community" (Miller). Randall should be recognized as a man that realized his passion as well as his talent. He took issues that were important to him and his generation and was able to speak to millions through his art. Randall used imagery, rhyme, and themes of love successfully in his poetry. Dudley Randall's poetry captures slices of American life that reveals his eye passion and concern.
"One of Randall's most popular poems is "Ballad of Birmingham," which recounts the dreadful church bombing in the city in 1963. His poem looks at the event from the perspective of one of the victim's mother. Chris Semansky writes, "Focusing on the relationship between a mother and her child allows Randall to evoke as much horror and pathos as possible from the story" (Semansky). Instead of wailing about the situation, Randall speaks with a soft voice that still proves his point of the absurdity of the incident. The image of the mother attempting to keep her child safe is met with bitter disappointment."

Tags:imagery, symbolism, rhythm, love