Ballad Of Birmingham Theme Essay

The article “When School Was Scary” and the poem “The Ballad of Birmingham” both share the theme of courage. In “When School Was Scary” all of the Little Rock 9 had the courage to go a former all-white school, even when they were bullied, and threatened. While the poem “The Ballad of Birmingham” the child shows courage by wanting to march through the streets of Birmingham even while knowing the dangers that may be there. Although both text pieces share the same theme, they present them differently. In the poem “The Ballad of Birmingham” only one person was affected by this theme, while in the article “When School was Scary” all of the Little Rock Nine had been affected by the theme of courage. In the article “When School was Scary” the author shows the reader that the theme is courage. This theme had been shown multiple times throughout the article. For example the quote, “White students were mean to the Little …show more content…
This theme had been shown multiple times throughout the poem. For example, a quote that shows the theme of courage is the quote, “Mother dear, may I go downtown Instead of out to play, And march the streets of Birmingham In a Freedom March today?” This quote shows that the little girl is courageous and that the theme of courage is present in the poem. I know this because she wants to risk the danger of going to jail or even dying instead of out to play. For example the quote, “‘No baby, you may not go, For the dogs are fierce and wild, And clubs and hoses, guns and jails Aren’t good for a little child.’ ‘But mother, I won’t be alone, Other children will go with me, And march the streets of Birmingham To make our country free.’” This quote shows that the little girl in the story is courageous. I know this because even after hearing all the dangers out on the streets, she still wanted to go and March in a Freedom March, even if she risked her