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QuizMultiple Choice

Lyrics and Poetry: The Birmingham Church Bombing

Question 1 • VA-English 10 CR

Which of the following is expressed by both “Birmingham Sunday” by Richard Fariña and “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall?

Answer
A
the cowardly act of bombing a place of worship
B
the security of a mother sending her child to Sunday school
C
the irony of violence in a place of worship
D
the injustice of being judged by one’s race

Explanation

Both poems use the bombing of a church to show the irony of violence reaching a place associated with worship and safety. In Randall’s poem, a mother sends her daughter to church to keep her safe from the march, but the church is bombed. Fariña’s poem also describes the Birmingham church bombing and its violence. Choice B is not expressed by both poems: in Randall’s poem, the mother’s belief that church is safe proves tragically mistaken.

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