How does Yusef Komunyakaa use imagery in Ode to a Drum?

"Ode to a Drum" is very much about re-creation: the drum maker has turned the gazelle into a mighty panther through the making of his drum. As such, the drum he has created is not merely a fabrication of hide and wood; it also possesses the soul of the gazelle. The drum itself is described, using images from the body—a ribcage and face, in particular. There is also an undercurrent of sadness, an infusion of the blues, in the poem, and words like "broke," "shattered," and "pressure" help underscore that connection. As the drum maker begins to use the gazelle hide on the drum, he compares his work to that of stretching "bowstrings," which helps to highlight the fact that he is turning this animal of prey into a mighty predator who will be ready for the hunt and who will protect his people from troubles.