Walt Whitman's Beat ! Drums

Walt Whitman perfectly encapsulates civilian life during the American Civil War in Beat! Beat! Drums! by using eloquent verse to recreate images of diligent, yet uncompromising soldiers completing their duties. Although critics were confused as to his absence from the Union Army, closer friends of Whitman understood his rationale when opting to serve his country through different means. John Burroughs, a close acquaintance of Whitman, wrote “Could there be anything more shocking and incongruous than Whitman killing people? One would as soon expect Jesus Christ to go to war,” supporting the notion of Whitman being unable to breach his humanist beliefs. Whitman was able to inspire Northern youth to enlist in the Union army as a result of his

The simple onomonopias of “Beat! Beat!” by the drums and “Blow! Blow!” by the bugles immediately paint a metaphorical landscape of a brigade infiltrating a nearby village. This enthralling start to the poem is followed by a series of actions inciting a rally cry to the townspeople. Proceeding lines in the first stanza such as “Through the windows--through doors--burst like a ruthless force, / Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation, / Into the school where the scholar is studying;” (2-4) provides examples of how citizens should become involved in war efforts Furthermore, the noises of the drum and bugle disrupting the aforementioned scholar, the bridegroom and bride (5) and the farmer ploughing his field forcibly integrates the Union’s mission into the lives of those unwilling to enlist. Concluding the first stanza are the lines “So fierce you whirr and pound, you drums--so shrill you bugles blow,” a comment on the intensity and sound of the instruments played. Evidently, the drummer and bugle players have great seriousness for their craft, ensure the fierceness and shrillness of their instruments promote enough anguish to recruit previously unwilling citizens to fight for the

Delving into deeper description of this, his assertive writing orders war-absentees from disrupting the Union. Whitman writes “Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? No sleepers must sleep in those beds, / No bargainers’ bargains by day--no brokers or speculators--would they continue? / Would the talkers be talking? Would the singer attempt to sing? / Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before the judge?” proposing that civilian life should cease for the sake of the North’s well-being (10-13). Although inadvertently, Whitman suggests his profession of composing poetry should be suspended if necessary, as he calls for the same action for “talkers” and “singers.” Following this, he concludes this stanza by calling for “heavier drums” and “wilder” bugles if the response the previous questions is affirmative (15). In essence, complete commitment was desired for townspeople to support war efforts and disobedience to this was accompanied by the drum and bugle figuratively becoming increasingly