The Somethings

This past week we studied American poets, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost. Whitman, a patriotic man who was an anti slavery advocate during the 1860’s, wrote poems about the Civil War. One of these poems, ‘Beat! Beat! Drums!’ is about the outbreak of war in the United States. Whitman was personally attached to the war, his brother fought in it and was thought of to be killed in battle, however, Whitman searched through hospitals and military bases to find his missing brother, which he did. Whitman makes the war seem like it is at the reader’s doorstep during ‘Beat! Beat! Drums!’ He begins the stanza’s with ‘Beat! beat! drums! blow! bugles! blow! reminding the reader of the army marching through their towns. This poem was written as a rallying cry for the Union Army during the beginning of the Civil War. Whitman was uniquely American because of expertise in this nation. He traveled throughout the nation, and during the Civil War experienced horrific scenes such as military hospitals. At these military hospitals, Whitman in search of his brother, saw piles of amputated limbs, sick soldiers in their last moments, and masses of the dead. Whitman was greatly effected by all of these sites and left the war as soon as he found his brother.