Final answer:
In Walt Whitman's "Beat! Beat! Drums!" the repetition serves to echo the incessant and unavoidable nature of war's intrusion into everyday life, establishing a forceful rhythm that mirrors the persistent sounds of war drums and bugles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effect of the repetition used in "Beat! Beat! Drums!" by Walt Whitman is multifaceted. Firstly, it mimics the relentless, overpowering, and inescapable sounds of war drums and bugles, which symbolize the intrusion of war into every aspect of life. The repetitive phrases 'Beat! Beat! Drums! – Blow! Bugles! Blow!' emphasize the urgency and aggressive nature of war, demanding attention and signaling the disruption of peace and normality. By repetitively using these commands, Whitman suggests that the sounds of war are unyielding and intrusive, disrupting the sacred ('Into the solemn church') and the mundane ('Over the traffic of cities'), and sparing nobody ('Leave not the bridegroom quiet'). Such repetition also creates a powerful rhythm that echoes the poem's themes, engulfing the reader in the unstoppable march and clangor of conflict, just as the lives of those within the poem are overtaken by the chaos of war.