What is the major irony in the poem “ballad of birmingham” by dudley randall? the mother is afraid her daughter will get hurt marching in a protest, but her daughter gets hurt going to church instead. the mother realizes that going to church may be as dangerous as going to a protest, so she doesn’t let her daughter leave. the mother is upset that her daughter deliberately defies her wishes to participate in the freedom march. the daughter could have missed church because the alarm clock wasn’t working that morning.