Question

So fierce you whirr and pound you drums—so shrill you bugles blow. What literary device does the poet use in the line in bold? A. Rhyme B. Imagery C. Extended simile D. Onomatopoeia

Answer 1

Answer: I would contend that the right answer is actually the B) Imagery.

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that in this excerpt from Walt Whitman's poem "Beat! Beat! Drums!," the poet seems to be exhorting the drums and bugles to play as loudly and fiercely as they can, and one can almost visualize them and hear them. This use of vivid language is called imagery, and is meant to appeal to our senses and emotions. Whitman wrote this poem as a call to arms, hence the use of this figurative and expressive language.