Drum-taps Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EAFGHIJDKD LAMANO PK KL QLRSKLTAKUKKVWKXYZKK KKLKA2ZP B2C2AKAL PPRP| Aroused and angry | A |
| I thought to beat the alarum and urge relentless war | B |
| But soon my fingers fail'd me my face droop'd and I resign'd myself | C |
| To sit by the wounded and soothe them or silently watch the dead | D |
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| First O songs for a prelude | E |
| Lightly strike on the stretch'd tympanum pride and joy in my city | A |
| How she led the rest to arms how she gave the cue | F |
| How at once with lithe limbs unwaiting a moment she sprang | G |
| O superb O Manhattan my own my peerless | H |
| O strongest you in the hour of danger in crisis O truer than steel | I |
| How you sprang how you threw off the costumes of peace with indifferent hand | J |
| How your soft opera music changed and the drum and fife were heard in their stead | D |
| How you led to the war that shall serve for our prelude songs of soldiers | K |
| How Manhattan drum taps led | D |
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| Forty years had I in my city seen soldiers parading | L |
| Forty years as a pageant till unawares the Lady of this teeming and turbulent city | A |
| Sleepless amid her ships her houses her incalculable wealth | M |
| With her million children around her suddenly | A |
| At dead of night at news from the south | N |
| Incens'd struck with clench'd hand the pavement | O |
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| A shock electric the night sustain'd it | P |
| Till with ominous hum our hive at day break pour'd out its myriads | K |
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| From the houses then and the workshops and through all the doorways | K |
| Leapt they tumultuous and lo Manhattan arming | L |
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| To the drum taps prompt | Q |
| The young men falling in and arming | L |
| The mechanics arming the trowel the jack plane the blacksmith's hammer tost aside with precipitation | R |
| The lawyer leaving his office and arming the judge leaving the court | S |
| The driver deserting his wagon in the street jumping down throwing the reins abruptly down on the horses' backs | K |
| The salesman leaving the store the boss book keeper porter all leaving | L |
| Squads gather everywhere by common consent and arm | T |
| The new recruits even boys the old men show them how to wear their accoutrements they buckle the straps carefully | A |
| Outdoors arming indoors arming the flash of the musket barrels | K |
| The white tents cluster in camps the arm'd sentries around the sunrise cannon and again at sunset | U |
| Arm'd regiments arrive every day pass through the city and embark from the wharves | K |
| How good they look as they tramp down to the river sweaty with their guns on their shoulders | K |
| How I love them how I could hug them with their brown faces and their clothes and knapsacks cover'd with dust | V |
| The blood of the city up arm'd arm'd the cry everywhere | W |
| The flags flung out from the steeples of churches and from all the public buildings and stores | K |
| The tearful parting the mother kisses her son the son kisses his mother | X |
| Loth is the mother to part yet not a word does she speak to detain him | Y |
| The tumultuous escort the ranks of policemen preceding clearing the way | Z |
| The unpent enthusiasm the wild cheers of the crowd for their favorites | K |
| The artillery the silent cannons bright as gold drawn along rumble lightly over the stones | K |
| Silent cannons soon to cease your silence | K |
| Soon unlimber'd to begin the red business | K |
| All the mutter of preparation all the determin'd arming | L |
| The hospital service the lint bandages and medicines | K |
| The women volunteering for nurses the work begun for in earnest no mere parade now | A2 |
| War an arm'd race is advancing the welcome for battle no turning away | Z |
| War be it weeks months or years an arm'd race is advancing to welcome it | P |
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| Mannahatta a march and it's O to sing it well | B2 |
| It's O for a manly life in the camp | C2 |
| And the sturdy artillery | A |
| The guns bright as gold the work for giants to serve well the guns | K |
| Unlimber them no more as the past forty years for salutes for courtesies merely | A |
| Put in something else now besides powder and wadding | L |
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| And you Lady of Ships you Mannahatta | P |
| Old matron of this proud friendly turbulent city | P |
| Often in peace and wealth you were pensive or covertly frown'd amid all your children | R |
| But now you smile with joy exulting old Mannahatta | P |
Walt Whitman
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