In beat beat drums whom do the drums and bugles call to action?

In "Beat! Beat! Drums!" by Walt Whitman, the drums and bugles call to action the youth and the general populace, urging them to respond to the call of war. The poem evokes a sense of urgency and inevitability, as the sounds of the instruments disrupt daily life, compelling people to abandon their routines and join the fight. The call is both a summons to arms and a representation of the profound impact of war on society.