This is an analysis of the poem Sign-Board that begins with:

I will paint you a sign, rumseller,
And hang it above your door;... full text

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.

  • Rhyme scheme: XaXabcde Xcfcdgeg XfbfXhih fhbhfjbj bfbfhXXi XkXkXkXk
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: trochaic tetrameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: unknown form
  • Metre: 101101100 1100111 01011010 1101101 1010010010 1101101 01001010 1100100 10110100 11111111 10010011 010111 1111010 1111001 11111110 11100101 101101100 1011111 00101010 010011 1101111 111101 11101110 1010101 11101010 100111 10011010 011111 0111110 1011111 00101010 100101 101010010 11110101 010011110 110101 101010010 100111 10110100 1010101 011011010 01101101 11110111 111111 111101100 1101101 01001010 11001001
  • Amount of stanzas: 6
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 253
  • Average number of words per stanza: 49
  • Amount of lines: 53
  • Average number of symbols per line: 28 (strings are less long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 6
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, you, paint are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words i, and, the are repeated.

    The author used the same word i at the beginnings of some neighboring stanzas. The figure of speech is a kind of anaphora.

If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:

  • summary of Sign-Board;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Ella Wheeler Wilcox