"Beat! Beat! Drums!" - By Walt Whitman

      "Beat! Beat! Drums!"

       

       By: Walt Whitman

        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 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?

Then rattle quicker, heavier drums — you bugles wilder blow.

Beat! beat! drums! — blow! bugles! blow!

Make no parley — stop for no expostulation,

Mind not the timid — mind not the weeper or prayer,

Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,

Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,

Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,

So strong you thump O terrible drums — so loud you bugles blow.

       Analysis:

       Every stanza in the poem begins with the same line: "Beat! beat! drums! - Blow! bugles blow!" The speaker refers to instruments in a band, signalling them to play louder, burst through doors and windows and fill churches, schools and bridge rooms with their sound.

       He tells the instruments to play so loudly they disturb the bride and groom trying to get privacy, to keep people awake, to cut through the traffic in the cities, he encourages the instruments to keep playing, and to ignore those who protest while weeping or praying. 

       He tells the instruments to play so loud they "shake the dead" in their graves. No matter what obstruction they shall face, the drums will keep beating, and the bugles will keep blowing.