Question

Read the following poem and answer the question that follows."Beat! Beat! Drums!" by Walt WhitmanBeat! 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.In one paragraph of at least three to five sentences, analyze the tone and imagery used in the lines in bold. Identify the mood the author intended to create with this imagery, as well as the connotations used in the words "solemn," "quiet," and "peaceful." Use proper spelling and grammar.

Answer 1

The speaker commands the instruments to play loudly. He imagines the sound bursting through a "solemn church", scattering the congregation, into the school where the scholar is studying. He imagines the sound disturbing a bride and groom. He commands the instruments to play so loudly that it changes that they disrupt everyone's life.

The author intended to invoke the enviroment of war without speaking about soldiers. He uses onomatopeia and enphasis in certain words so that the speaker, whilst reading the poem, could also imagine the drums playing.

That which is "solemn", "quiet", and "peaceful" is meant to be disturbed, to be changed by the loud instruments playing.