Ode to a Drum Summary
Yusef Komunyakaa

Everything you need to understand or teach Ode to a Drum by Yusef Komunyakaa.

  • Ode to a Drum Summary & Study Guide

Ode to a Drum Summary

Included in the first section of Yusef Komunyakaa's 1998 collection Thieves of Paradise, "Ode to a Drum" describes an African drum maker talking to the gazelle he has killed, while nailing the gazelle's hide to wood, and the music that results from the drum he creates. The poem was also included in the album Love Notes from the Mad House, Komunyakaa's musical collaboration with saxophonist John Tchicai.

"Ode to a Drum" represents many of...

(read more from the Study Guide)

Study Pack

The Ode to a Drum Study Pack contains:

Ode to a Drum Study Guide