Question 31 • WINGS PA - 26 Literature II A Jefferson-Oliver
Read the stanza below from “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall and answer the question that follows. She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,And bathed rose petal sweet,And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,And white shoes on her feet. What is ironic about the sensory imagery in the stanza?
Answer
A
The little girl is preparing her appearance carefully for church, but the church will be bombed.
B
The little girl is going, against her mother’s wishes, to participate in a Freedom March on the streets of Birmingham.
C
The little girl has to decide between going to church or to school.
D
The mother asked the little girl to hurry, but the little girl is taking her time getting ready.
Explanation
The sensory details make the girl’s preparations seem gentle and beautiful: her hair is “night-dark,” she smells “rose petal sweet,” and she wears white gloves and shoes. The irony is that she is carefully dressing for church, a place associated with safety and peace, but the church will be bombed. The contrast between her innocent preparations and the violence to come makes the imagery especially poignant.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.