In Elizabeth Bishop's poem "The Air Force Band," she uses vivid details to help the reader feel as though they are witnessing the band playing at the White House first hand. She begins by describing the "shining faces" of the musicians and their "sober, soldierly" uniforms. Bishop also uses imagery to paint a picture of the scene, with the band playing "under the portico,/beside the pool,/velvet-footed, in the marble hall" and the crowd of people listening to the music with "swimming eyes." She also employs personification to describe the music as having a "bristling, clear" sound, and the way it fills up the "enormous room." These details help the reader feel as though they are present in the moment and witnessing the band playing at the White House first hand.