Whitman

shattering through the homes of the common people. “Nor the peaceful farmer any peace,” Whitman uses the image of a farmer to express the idea that no food will be grown because of war taking place. Whitman uses the image of a “solemn church” to show how people must go through each day, with an empty feeling in their souls, knowing their lives’ are at risk. ” These show how the drums are easy to disrupt these calming places. ” This line states that the speaker can start to feel the sounds of the drums and not only hear them. He is stating would these people continue on with their lives even though they have this terrible feeling disrupting their day. ” In the third section, Whitman gets into the feelings of the drums and the drive behind the war. Then Whitman finishes the first section as the drums are getting louder or the war is getting bigger, “So fierce you whirr and pound your drums- so shrill you bugles blow. Whitman uses a great amount of sarcasm in the line: “Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,” he tries to get the point across that the drums will stop for no one and the war will keep going until its resolved. In the first section Whitman shows of how the sounds of war effect the personal lives of the common people. The speaker finishes off the second section with the drums and bugles getting louder and heavier, “then rattle quicker, heavier drums-you bugles wilder blow. This poem “Beat! Beat! Drums” is a poem to show the horrible effects of war. The second section shows how the drums are so loud they can be heard through large cities, “Over the traffic of cities- over the rumble of wheels in the streets;” this shows how the war has evolved to something that not only disrupts churches and schools but something that disrupts whole cities. Whitman uses wonderful images to show how the war affects peoples’ jobs.