This is an analysis of the poem Beat! Beat! Drums! that begins with:

BEAT! beat! drums!--Blow! bugles! blow!
Through the windows--through doors--burst like a ruthless force,... full text

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.

  • Rhyme scheme: abcdXXeca AbeXXXdfXa AXXcefXa
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,10,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 1111101 101011110101 00010111001010 000110100100 1101110110011110 01 101010101100111000 1 11111111111101 1111101 100100101001001001 1101110110010110 110111 110010111101101011 010 101001010100101 101010010101010 1 110101001110101 1111101 111011110000 110101101011 11011010011 11011011010010 11001001011110100 101 111111001111101
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 498
  • Average number of words per stanza: 75
  • Amount of lines: 29
  • Average number of symbols per line: 51 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    There are many exclamation marks in the poem. The speaker is excited. He or she has strong feelings on the subject that is described in the poem.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; his, you, blow, no, would are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words into, would, mind are repeated.

    The author used the same word beat at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

    The poet repeated the same word blow at the end of some neighboring stanzas. The poetic device is a kind of epiphora.

If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:

  • summary of Beat! Beat! Drums!;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Walt Whitman