Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a vivid, almost unsettling portrait of a figure whose outward appearance belies a profound emptiness. His face, perpetually "smile eternal drest," is compared to the fixed, welcoming grin of a landlord greeting a guest, suggesting a superficial hospitality. This smile, however, is immediately juxtaposed with the "creaking din" of sign-posts, hinting at a hollow, repetitive, and perhaps even decaying facade.
The central tension lies in the contrast between the expected function of a sign-post – to guide and inform – and the true nature of this figure. Like the "sign-post Lions" that appear fierce but are ultimately harmless, his expression is described as having an "aspect fierce, and quite as harmless too." This suggests a lack of genuine substance or threat behind the imposing visage, a performance of character rather than its embodiment.
The most striking element is the description of his head as "pure, sinless quite of brain and soul." This stark image reduces the human form to a mere shell, an "image of a barber's Poll" that is merely decorative. The wig and the preserved "amazing big" appearance further emphasize a focus on external presentation over internal reality, creating a disturbing disconnect between the human-like face and its utter lack of cognitive or spiritual depth.
This piece is effective because it uses concrete, almost absurd imagery to convey a profound sense of hollowness. The comparison to inanimate objects like sign-posts and barber's poles strips the figure of agency and interiority, leaving the reader with a chilling impression of a being that looks human but is fundamentally devoid of the qualities that define it. The "smile eternal" becomes a mask of nothingness.
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