Reflective Response - Patterson - "Birmingham 1963". A Reflective Response paper written describing the situation in the poem.

Patterson, Raymond L. Birmingham 1963. Retellings: A Thematic Literature Anthology. Eds. Clarke, M.B. and A.G. Clarke. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2004. 886-887 The poem sets up a strong contrast between the girl's restlessness at home and the complete rest created by her death. What language in the poem reinforces this contrast? What is the speaker's attitude toward the contrasts? What does it say about the possibility of peacefulness in life? During the poem I found there were …

…as death and life. As while the poet portrays the life portion as somewhat frantic and busy, it is still calming and relaxing compared to the end of the poem where excitement is abounding. And used in exactly the same method, the end of the poem, the little girl is shown quietly lying by herself amid the rubble which is a complete opposite of the beginning of the poem where she is active and vivid.