The American poet Walt Whitman published "Beat! Beat! Drums!" in 1861, shortly after the first major battle of the Civil War. The poem directly addresses the instruments of a military band, telling drums and bugle horns to raise the alarm of war. These instruments, the speaker says, should tear through society like a "ruthless force," making it impossible for everyday life to continue. War is a terrible, violent, chaotic force that upends everyday life. But, for the speaker, this is how it must be: the poem is a patriotic call to arms and a passionate rallying cry, underscoring the immense, earth-shattering importance of the Union's cause.
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The Full Text of “Beat! Beat! Drums!”
1Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
2Through the windows—through doors—burst like a ruthless force,
3Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation,
4Into the school where the scholar is studying,
5Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he have now with his bride,
6Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain,
7So fierce you whirr and pound you drums—so shrill you bugles blow.
8Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
9Over the traffic of cities—over the rumble of wheels in the streets;
10Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? no sleepers must sleep in those beds,
11No bargainers’ bargains by day—no brokers or speculators—would they continue?
12Would the talkers be talking? would the singer attempt to sing?
13Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before the judge?
14Then rattle quicker, heavier drums—you bugles wilder blow.
15Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
16Make no parley—stop for no expostulation,
17Mind not the timid—mind not the weeper or prayer,
18Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,
19Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,
20Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,
21So strong you thump O terrible drums—so loud you bugles blow.
The Full Text of “Beat! Beat! Drums!”
1Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
2Through the windows—through doors—burst like a ruthless force,
3Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation,
4Into the school where the scholar is studying,
5Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he have now with his bride,
6Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain,
7So fierce you whirr and pound you drums—so shrill you bugles blow.
8Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
9Over the traffic of cities—over the rumble of wheels in the streets;
10Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? no sleepers must sleep in those beds,
11No bargainers’ bargains by day—no brokers or speculators—would they continue?
12Would the talkers be talking? would the singer attempt to sing?
13Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before the judge?
14Then rattle quicker, heavier drums—you bugles wilder blow.
15Beat! beat! drums!—blow! bugles! blow!
16Make no parley—stop for no expostulation,
17Mind not the timid—mind not the weeper or prayer,
18Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,
19Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,
20Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,
21So strong you thump O terrible drums—so loud you bugles blow.
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“Beat! Beat! Drums!” Summary
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“Beat! Beat! Drums!” Themes
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The Vital Disruptiveness of War
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Beat! Beat! Drums!”
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Lines 1-4
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, -
Lines 5-7
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. -
Lines 8-11
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? -
Lines 12-14
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. -
Lines 15-18
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, -
Lines 19-21
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.
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“Beat! Beat! Drums!” Symbols
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The Bugles and Drums
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“Beat! Beat! Drums!” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Refrain
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Anaphora
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Apostrophe
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Alliteration
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Consonance
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Assonance
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Rhetorical Question
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Polyptoton
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“Beat! Beat! Drums!” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Bugles
- Ruthless
- Solemn
- Congregation
- Bridegroom
- Ploughing
- Whirr
- Shrill
- Bargainers
- Brokers
- Speculators
- Parley
- Expostulation
- Beseeching
- Entreaties
- Trestles
- Hearses
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Beat! Beat! Drums!”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Beat! Beat! Drums!” Speaker
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“Beat! Beat! Drums!” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Beat! Beat! Drums!”
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More “Beat! Beat! Drums!” Resources
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External Resources
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The Bugle Horn — Listen to the sound of the bugle horn and learn about some of the ways it was used on the battlefield in the Civil War!
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The Poet's Life Story — Learn more about Walt Whitman's life and work.
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Whitman and the Civil War — Read about Walt Whitman's engagement with the Civil War, including his time as a volunteer nurse for wounded Union soldiers.
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Military Bands in the Civil War — A look at the purpose and practices of military bands in the Civil War.
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The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a reading of the poem.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Walt Whitman
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