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

Civilized, crying: how to be human again; this will tell you how.
Turn outward, love things, not men, turn right away from humanity,...

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: ababcdcdeddedd X
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 14,1,
  • Closest metre: trochaic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: alternate rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: sonnet
  • Guessed form: rondeau
  • Metre: 10110100100100111 1101111110100100 111101001110101 110101011100100 1111110101111 10110100101011 1111001101011 110110111101 111111001101011 10110101111110 01101001011010 01000110100110101 11011111100010 1100110110010 01011
  • Amount of stanzas: 2
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 420
  • Average number of words per stanza: 82
  • Amount of lines: 16
  • Average number of symbols per line: 52 (very long strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 10
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; you, how, your, we are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word things is repeated.

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

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

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Robinson Jeffers