Ballads

Dudley Randall's "Ballad of Birmingham" draws in a variety of different elements to fulfill it's purpose: bring light to despicable mistreatment of people of color in this nation, specifically the south. The poem was written at a time of horrendous violence due to racism. He specifically depict the even on September 15, 1963. A Baptist church was bombed, killing four pure young girls. This poem uses hints of situational irony laced with powerful imagery. It is written in majority quatrain form,…

Prologue “Could you please tell me where you are from again?” “The Island of Udatnosst, your highness,” King Eli Pound repeated, growing agitated at the King of Roch’s inability to neither recognize nor pronounce the name of his kingdom. “Unclench your jaw.” “Cannot you read, sir? I would be willing to spell it. It has a silent D and a guttural O. You have to say it with gruff! Use that large throat of yours and try it with me. Yew at N oooo st.” “Do not insult me, Eli.” “I, as well, am a…

Darkness befell upon the sky as I was getting closer to my destination. I was meeting up with my girlfriend for a date, our first since we became a couple. When I arrived, there she was standing so elegantly as the gust of night gently blew her hair in way so mystically. If I didn’t know who she was, I might have mistaken her for an angel. However, I knew all too well that she could not possibly be an angel. Much rather, she was a fallen angel. One born of a disturbed heart in which god would…

Chapter Three The final roster for the Power Cheer team would be posted on the bulletin board by the gym at lunch tomorrow. Frankie had high expectations, and she knew it. She may have not been the best tumbler at the tryouts, but she definitely made sure to have a smile plastered across her face. A cheerleader needed to show spirit and energy, and spread optimism to the entire crowd. At the end of the day, that’s what the co-ordinator was looking for. It was all a part of the plan. Keisha knew…

“It was terrible, but it leads me to this question: How can you willingly leave someone you love so much? Or do you not really love Carina?” Not love Carina? What kind of madness was that? A frustrated Ulrich explained, “I love her! More than anything.” He reached down and fumbled in his belt pouch for the betrothal ring and held it out to Merlin. “I was planning to ask for her hand a few days ago,” he said, brandishing the piece of jewelry. “I’m leaving because I love her. Because I don’t want…

Jayna had hardly slept in two days, she had intended on resting only until noon, then she, the unicorn and 23 would began the journey to Minos. The sun was low in the sky when Jayna was awakened by a shout, the neighing of the unicorn and the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard. She leapt to her feet and drew her own sword. A big human male with a sword squared off against 23, while a short man with his back to her, with broad shoulders and long arms faced off against Corny with a…

It is the year 2002, my great grandpa was still alive and I frequently visited his farm with my father. This is a story about the events leading up to one visit that was very much like most visits. I was a young quick witted five-year-old bursting with energy. The summer was bright and filled with the joy of youth. I awoke in the morning and did my usual routine of showering getting dressed and brushing my teeth before venturing my way upstairs past the green walls of the corridor, the red…

Many poets will express their perspectives or nauture in various ways. In the poems, “Ode to enchanted Light” by Pablo Neruda and “Sleeping in the Forest” by Mary Oliver, the poets utilize similar and contrasting key elements to express their views of the beauties and powers of nature. In “Ode to enchanted Light,” Pablo Neruda touches upon the beauties of light and appreciation for the nature that surrounds us, through the use of figuative language, theme, symbolism, and mood/tone. Mary Oliver…

I’ll never forget that day, April 20, 2006, the day my divorce became final. After twelve years of hell, I was set free. My ex-husband and I met as teenagers and fell into a whirlwind romance. At first everything was wonderful, with all those late-night drives to nowhere, ones where we would talk about our mutual love for theater and music, where we would complain about our messed-up families. For the first few months, it was ideal. Then the trouble started. Three months after we began dating…

I have known you since second grade and we made so many wonderful memories together. I wish I could say that we still have a friendship like we used to have, but times have changed and you continue to amaze me with the decisions you have been making. Some are good and some are bad, but mainly bad because you are pretending to be someone else. If only you could see what you have become in my eyes, because you would finally realize that you are not who you act like you are and you need to stop…