Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
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;
Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he have now with
 his bride,
Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering
 his grain,
So fierce you whirr and pound you drums—so shrill you bugles blow.
Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
Over the traffic of cities—over the rumble of wheels in the streets;
Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? no sleepers
In this poem, Whitman illustrates the damaging and unrelenting nature of war. He is referring to the Civil War which took place from 1861-1865, while this poem was published in 1865. He uses the drums and bugles to signify war. By the drums being “fierce” and the bugles being “shrill,” Whitman is describing war as “fierce” and “shrill” for the nation. Before this quote, he lists examples of the citizens that are ripped from their lives to fight, “the Peaceful farmer,” the husband, the “scholar.” The fierce drums– the fierce war – bursts into these citizens lives with “a ruthless force.” Since this poem is published at the tail end of the war, it is an appropriate response to the devastation the nation experienced due to conflicting beliefs between people with the supposed same national identity.
Beat Beat Drums