Blog Eleven Loyalty Leads to Death

The "Ballad of Birmingham" and "Sir Patrick Spens" are two poems that despite their differences, in fact have many similarities. Both poems  are ballads. Both poems also share similarity in  their content. In both poems, the main characters aim to please others, and that factor is what ultimately leads to their death.

In the poems "Sir Patrick Spens", Sir Patrick responds to the orders that have been given to him by the King;

"O who is this has done this deed
This ill deed done to me,
To send me out this time o' the year.
To sail upon the sea" (Lines 17-20)

Sir Patrick knows that the order for him to sail during this dangerous time of the year, will also leads to his death. He is an experienced sailor and he also knows that sailing during this time of the year is very dangerous and will be the cause of his death. His loyalty is evident in the following text, "Make haste, make haste, my merry men all", (Line 21). Sir Patrick is ordering all his men to prepare themselves for their upcoming journey. Although Sir Patrick knows the danger in sailing, he unwilling to disobey the King, in fear of appearing disloyal.

In the poem "Ballad of Birmingham"we are introduced to a young girl who also displays the same loyalty and obedience to her mother. The young girl remains obedient to her mother, despite her desire to attend the Freedom March rather than attend church. Her mother says"no baby, you may not go/ For I fear that the guns will fire" (Line 14). The young girl obeys her mother and goes to church, and ends up being killed in church from the what her mother feared would happen if she attended the Freedom March.

In both poems "Sir Patrick Spens" and "Ballad of Birmingham" the main characters loyalty and obedience are the factors that lead to their death. In "Sir Patrick Spens", Sir Patrick is aware of the danger that awaits him on his journey, yet with no hesitation he agrees to go on the journey. Had Sir Patrick listened to his better judgement, he would still be alive. In "Ballad of Birmingham" the little girl against her personal desire to attend the Freedom March and instead obeys her mother's orders to attend church. Had the young girl gone against her mother's orders, she would still be alive. Both poems share tragic endings, in which the main characters loyalty and obedience, are the factors that lead to their death.

Another similarity between both poems is they are ballads. Both poems have stanzas that consist of four lines and share a rhyme scheme in which the second and fourth lines rhyme. When read aloud the rhyme scheme in both poems, share the ability to engage the reader into connecting with the characters.

In conclusion, both poems also share irony. Both characters went against their own personal desires, and instead took orders from someone else, and ultimately these orders are what led to their death.