War Takes Over Everything in Walt Whitman’s Poem, Drum Taps

The overall theme in Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Drum Taps† is about the way war consumes everything and monopolizes every facet of life; particularly the land the war is fought on. When analyzing the poem, the first stanza talks about the movement of war from the farms, the second stanza talks about the progression of war from the farm to the city. In stanza three this journey continues through the battlefield, through the halls of power and finally into the homes, moving from the public to private spheres of life. Throughout the entire poem there is an emphasized pulse of drums that beats within the lines. This pulse of drums resonates throughout the entire poem and prompts me to wonder how Whitman intended to utilize this mechanism. Furthermore, I want to uncover if the sounds of these drums is symbolic in some way, and if they are, then I wonder if this symbolism represents a positive view or negative view on war. My first interpretation is that these drums represent Whitman’s negative perspective on war. I feel that the use of the pulse of drums throughout the poem acts as a mechanism that Whitman uses in order to discourage war. I feel that these sounds are symbolic of the dire news at the time that consisted of the battles. It seems that Whitman is addressing this pulse of drums in attempt to highlight the effect this war will have on the country. In this poem, I see the clear cry for battle as a cry by someone who is naà ¯ve and does not yet know what the ultimate cost of warShow MoreRelatedA True Poet By Walt Whitman2023 Words   |  9 PagesA true poet takes his imagination and molds it into a flowing story for others to read and enjoy. They put their whole selves into their work, leaving no emotion or feeling unsaid. Today, poems are written for fun or to entertain an audience, but in the nineteenth century, poets made their literature their sole focus and syntax and diction w ere as natural as breathing and eating. Poets stood by their work and praised it as if it was all they lived for. Throughout the years, these poets have becomeRead MoreWalts Whitmans Vision of America in Leaves of Grass17685 Words   |  71 PagesWalt Whitman’s vision of America in Leaves of Grass Valentine†©Abbet†© TRAVAIL†©DE†©MATURITE†© †© Sous†©la†©direction†©d’Anne†©Roland†Wurzburger†© Gymnase†©du†©Bugnon,†©Lausanne†© 2012†©  «I have sung the body and the soul, war and peace have I sung, and the songs of life and death, And the songs of birth, and shown that there are many births. I have offerd my style to every one, I have journeyd with confident step; While my pleasure is yet at the full I whisper So long! » Walt Whitman, So Long !, Deathbed edition