"The Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall is a poignant poem recounting the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement. It captures a mother's anguish and fear as she sends her child to church, only to have her worst fears realized when the church is attacked.
 
This product contains higher-level thinking questions which require students to identify the strategies used by the author and the purpose for each. Writing suggestions are included to give students choices for practice.