Read the following poem and answer the question that follows.

"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.

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.

The author was trying to create a loud and boisterous mood. They described the church as solemn, as serious, and used quiet to describe bride and groom before they heard the noise of the drums. They are saying that there are many things that can peaceful, quiet, and calm, but life can be loud and interrupting.

Answer Link

mcarc09 mcarc09 · Answer 2 · 2019-10-08T20:20:53+02:00

Answer and explanation:

The excerpt we are analyzing belongs to the poem "Beat! Beat" Drums!" by Walt Whitman. The author's intention with this poem is to provoke an emotional response from readers through imagery.

Imagery is a literary device that appeals to the five senses. In this poem, the sense that is most appealed to is the sense of hearing, since the speaker is constantly evoking loud sounds. The poem refers to the American Civil War and how it affected everyone's lives. Any sense of tranquility that could be felt through words such as "quiet", "solemn", and "peaceful" is broken by the beat of drums. The mood is quite the opposite: noisy, agitated, even hostile.

No one is left unaffected. Be it the groom with his bride, the farmer, the scholar. They are all touched by the cruelty of war. Especially when it comes to the Civil War, we must remember they were all Americans, killing each other.