Scroll down and read the comments section to enjoy all of the submissions.
What has no subject one can tell,
Yet tries to make it ring a bell?
What makes you scratch your head and think,
“How does this blather even link?”
RULES: Write a rhyming riddle of any length and paste it in the comments section below with your name and area of residence, such as “John Smith, Colorado, USA.” Do not include the answer. Let people guess and then respond with the answer at your discretion. Two submissions per contestant. No submission fee. See our Riddles Section for inspiration. Nothing dirty, please.
DEADLINE: July 31 midnight EST. Winners announced August 13.
PRIZE: $100
JUDGE: Advisory Board members will judge (those who choose not to participate in judging may participate in the contest)
Zachary Dilks
Austin,Texas
In truth, it’s plain to see
You are, but rarely are we
This is a tough one, Zachary. My instinct is that the answer has to do with letters of the alphabet. Not sure which person is being referred to, the You (letter U) or the We (YO), but I’ll guess the latter.
Sorry, no.
Guessing again, Zachary… Alone?
It’s not alone
Sigh, I’m giving up!
Never give up!
Really appreciate your sense of humor. I would say you are referring to the “light” which is plain and it is rare to match any other thing with that.
Sorry, it’s not light. Try again though. I might give a hint though. The brevity makes it vague.
Here’s a hint to get people guessing again, ignore the first line, it’s only meant to trip you up and to complete the rhyme.
Maybe “singular”?
Close, TDZ, but not on the money.
Alone
Also close, Rohini. You and TDZ are in the right neighborhood.
Okay one last attempt… solitary?
You’re dancing around it Rohini. You’re hitting synonyms.
lonely?
Sorry, Ram. You’re very close though. Reminds me of a song
ONE
The attitude: “I’m always right which means you rarely are?”
Sorry Charlie that’s incorrect.
ONE (not sure if you’d see the comment on the other person’s guess)
“One” is correct, Caroline!
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!! I needed the song hint. Alone, Solitary, Lonely…. “One is the Loneliest Number” 🙂
Congratulations to Caroline! There is something very clever here. I was stuck on the idea of singular and plural, but the poem says “rarely are we”. “We” is never singular, but “rarely” the pronoun may refer to “one” person, as in the case of a monarch. Well done! Fun guessing!
Thanks TDZ. Very challenging and I wouldn’t have gotten it without other people’s guesses leading me there.
Congratulations Caroline! Good one Zachary. It sure had us all guessing.
Thanks all! I’m glad you all enjoyed it and it stumped you. TDZ, you summed it up perfectly.
We eat it hot, we eat it cold,
And sometimes we eat it with mold.
It’s hard, it’s soft and in between,
If we’re asked to do this-it isn’t mean.
The Brits say it for a bit of wind,
Others talk about it when we grin.
Bars, balls or giant wheels,
Or someone who doesn’t act real
Now that’s a lot of clues, you see
So what is the answer to this riddle, please?
Cheese?
Cute Jennifer. the answer is cheese or cheesy.
Yes, it is.
It seems to me there’s something strong
that weighs on you and me alike;
a force that presses down along
each surface that our feet will strike.
This strange phenomenon appears
as apples fall from autumn trees;
it took Sir Isaac Newton years
to realize it’s not the breeze.
It’s like we’re drawn magnetically
toward the center of the earth,
so things can move kinetically
beginning from the point of birth.
That’s a classy piece, Caroline.
Even without the prevailing riddle, it stands up as a strong, disciplined poem.
But given that there IS also a riddle; well, it almost defies gravity.
Yes Monty. It is rated E for Easy, but I’m pretty fond of the poem. I can’t say that I prepared this one for the contest though. I wrote it earlier this year and I have to say it is a crowd-pleaser for the open mic set. I sent it out for publication, but had no takers so thought it would be a fun contribution.
The name for this sonnet in iambic tetrameter is “A Strange Phenomenon” and the final couplet goes like this:
“To sum it up with brevity,
the word they use is Gravity!”
Gravity?
Yeah, gravity, Jen; as in the riddle contained in Caroline’s poem. Instead of just blurting out the answer; I thought it’d be more imaginative to instead slip it into a sentence.
Exactly. Easy enough to confidently guess!
Final couplet in the rhyme:
“To sum it up with brevity,
the word they use is Gravity!”
I must say, Caroline: I’m glad I first saw yer poem ‘without’ the final couplet . . which I feel to be superfluous. There are enough (practically giveaway) clues throughout the piece; the answer doesn’t need to be there. Don’t be enticed into the popularity (or some may say, monotony) of the sonnet.
Like ya say: it IS an easy riddle to grasp, which I feel is rather fitting . . ‘cos one is thus able to concentrate their enjoyment on the poem, and not necessarily the riddle. The poem deserves that . .
Thank you, Monty.
For the sake of brevity
My answer: gravity
Yes!
What do you loose when youstand up? And find when you sit and nap?
Your lap!
Beverly,
You included the answer in the question! 🙂
J.E.
Entry #2 – This one I just crafted so I can claim I wrote it specifically for the challenge – less structured than #1 and the answer is not part of the poem. Also very easy and fun.
I can be dark as night or somewhat fair;
sometimes I’m barely even there.
I can be curled or even pinned,
easily tossed about by wind.
I take on shapes of many sorts,
in many lengths from long to short.
To keep down the stress
when you’re dressed to impress,
I can be worn straight
or pressed into plaits,
repeatedly teased
if the wearer’s so pleased
or sculpted and sprayed
to keep strays at bay.
Some will flinch with every break,
as if the entire world’s at stake,
but knowing this much to be true –
I can confidently promise you –
that no one set is ever the same.
So can you guess? What is my name?
Hair
Yep. Can’t wait to find out yours.
He was an entrepreneur who chartered a ship
To transport prospective immigrants across the Pacific.
On arrival at his destination, he was very optimistic,
But at the Landing Dock he was not given a permit.
What is the name of this entrepreneur?
This ship made a voyage from Hong Kong
Across the Pacific Ocean over a week long;
It reached its destination, but could not land,
As the chartered owner did not have permission.
What is the name of the ship?
Leonard Dabydeen, Ontario, Canada
Leonard,
Could this be Gurdit Singh of the Komagata Maru, who was denied entrance into Canada in 1914? I had to check the history books on this one!
Amy Foreman, Cascabel, Arizona
Capricious, shifting to-and-fro,
I’m sometimes fast and sometimes slow;
I’ve been around since long ago,
Yet I’m the one you cannot know.
A little of me lulls to sleep,
And when I stop, the sailors weep.
Too strong, and things lie in a heap:
The mess I make is never cheap.
I’ll make you open windows wide,
Then slam them shut and stay inside.
On my account, will you decide
To button up, or bare your hide.
You’ll never see me with your eye,
And yet you’ll know when I pass by,
For rustling leaves will testify
When through the arbor, soft, I fly.
I’m going with wind
Bingo, Zachary. 🙂
I guessed wind too. Anyway I loved the poem.
Thank you, Rohini!
Riddle #1
At first glance, I fill your heart with delight;
For me, all the world’s men with surely fight!
I make or break every nation
And back every celebration.
But, on my second note, I like secrets
And what’s precious.
My friends and I help to protect
Everything from bike to diamond necklace.
The company I keep is between two and four.
Never less, never more.
At first, I was scared of their teeth and claws,
But now I do follow their woodland laws.
– Dylan R.T. Gibbons, Toronto, Canada
Riddle #1
At first glance, I fill your heart with delight;
For me, all the world’s men will surely fight!
I make or break every nation
And back every celebration.
But, on my second note, I like secrets
And what’s precious.
My friends and I help to protect
Everything from bike to diamond necklace.
The company I keep is between two and four.
Never less, never more.
At first, I was scared of their teeth and claws,
But now I do follow their woodland laws.
– Dylan R.T. Gibbons, Toronto, Canada
*Repost as autocorrect changed a “will” to a “with”*
Silver?
I guess you’re looking for a group – precious metals?
Hi Caroline,
Each stanza has a separate riddle which contributes to the whole. As a hint, the answer to the first stanza is ‘gold’.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears?!
Correct! Good job, Caroline.
Connor Rosemond, North Carolina, USA.
What pounds and plods as if with toes,
And utilizes stress?
What’s out of favor, out of style,
Yet we use, neverthless?
Riddle #1. Difficulty: Easy!
Please excuse my typo in the final line; “neverthless” should be corrected to “nevertheless”.
Poetic metre?
Good job J.E. Prittle! I think you nailed it. I had no idea but am slapping my forehead because it seems so obvious now – metrical feet – it makes absolute sense.
Correct!
Connor Rosemond, North Carolina, USA.
This witty thinker wrought his mind
Semantically and frantically!
If language is a game confined,
This verse flaunts his philosophy.
Riddle #2. Difficulty: Hard!
Witt-y thinker… Language game… clever! The answer is German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, yes?
Spot on, Troy! He’s one of the more fascinating philosophers to me.
Not gal… not guy… this I belie. On wind I fly (though no physique).
You can’t see me. I’m absentee. Though I agree, my answers weak.
I may reprise and minimize then neutralize the things you speak.
Joe Quintanilla
Mangilao, Guam, USA
An echo?
Yes!
What others rarely see
it’s this you show to me
be you a nobody
or be of you a king.
Confessional… close door…
to me you then outpour…
release what you deplore
with kiss upon my ring.
Don’t need your resume.
Not lengthy is your stay.
It’s best you not delay.
Conclude with a wellspring.
Joe Quintanilla
Mangilao, Guam, USA
The final two lines of the first stanza lead me to believe it is related to death, or perhaps vice. Is it “sin”?
Not what I was going for, no. Hint?
Yes, hint please!
Honesty?
It very well may be that I’m just not great at making riddles. Anyway…
Hint: “Kiss” is not literal, while “ring” is literal butt maybe not the ring you’re thinking of.
Oh… sorry… no, “honesty” is honestly not what I was going for.
Is it a toilet?
Ha! I was beginning to wonder if maybe my riddle skills needed as much work as my poetic skills. A toilet it is! (Does that break the rules of keeping it clean?)
What has two score minus two lines,
No intended scheme of rhymes,
Naught but six seedlings for each ending,
And a complex algorithm to guide one’s wending?
A sestina
My guess too. Is his riddle a sestina? Clever if so!
my guess is a sestina, too !
What runs fast and slow?
And we all really do know
It has no legs big or small;
Some are short; some tall.
Candle?
car
Clock arms?
I’m going with clock too.
The ____ is a little thing,
it has no tail, it has no wing.
It has no arms, it has no feet,
it has no height; it’s quite petite.
The ____is seen here and there;
it can be seen most everywhere.
It can be seen on leaves and trees,
it can be seen on wind and breeze.
The ____isn’t square or round,
it makes no noise; no single sound.
It makes its home wherever it’s at;
on a cat, or on a mat.
It makes its home upon a shelf
with other things, or by itself.
The ____isn’t what you think;
it’s not a drink or the kitchen sink.
It’s not the shadow on the silvery moon,
it’s not the bottom of a red balloon.
The ____’s not a girl or boy,
it’s not a ball or any toy.
It isn’t hers, it isn’t his,
it’s not what you might think it is.
The ____isn’t rocky or rough,
it’s small enough and tall enough.
It really is the proper size
it’s really right before your eyes.
But what IS IT; this____ here?
Is it part of the atmosphere?
I won’t tell you the answer now..
but I’m sure you’ll guess it, anyhow……
Dust?
You got it! But I hope it made you think a while..
Air?
Almost but not quite..
Whether one of the wise or a deliberate fool,
unless you are half of the rarest jewel
you gradually come to understand
things certainly won’t go as planned.
It’s not a husband or a wife
who’ll stay with you all of your life.
Not any other person, realistically or actually.
Neither dog, statistically, nor cat, factually,
or lover, friend, bird, or turtle.
Sorry – this might hurt a little.
It is by no means a multiple-choice question,
and may give you a headache, or indigestion.
Whether diagnosed with perfect health or cancer,
it’s true-or-false and you know the answer.
“Neither dog, statistically, nor cat, factually” was very funny. I don’t know why, but my guess is leaning towards hope.
That is incorrect sir
True?!
No, wait! It’s false! My thinking got turned around because the poem tells us what the answer is not.
What has love but does not adore?
It has box but does not restore,
It has no shape but fits in a ring,
It’s a no dance but used to swing.
Monching Llena
Philippines
I have two guesses and the first is locket.
Due to my bipolar presence, I am both stormy and passive,
With solar winds and lunar lures, my surf-face rarely placid.
Fueling terrestrial climate, my wind and water are indispensable,
Even if at times, their devastation’s indefensible.
I’m a beautiful beast of nature, who only remains the same by changing,
With my tempests, tides, and streams that I’m continually rearranging.
My forces aren’t hormonal, they’re by-products of a shared environment,
As a result the exchanges induced are passionate and violent.
I want to say earth, but I feel like I’m wrong. But I’m still going with earth.
The Moon?
The tide?
Zachary Dilks
Austin, Texas
That’s just like me to set down roots
Wherever I go
Is wherever I grow
They’ll whisper me wishes and give the boot
To carry their secrets wherever I blow
Dandelion
Rohini, that’s correct
When I look around the vast Creation
It alerts the ‘Poet’ in me with Inspiration
I am before the Creator in Profound Adoration
Composing a song of a new Creation
The hymn How great thou art
Poetry?
Three poems submitted
Poetic Riddle
You can hear me in the canyons,
But not upon the sea,
The most likely of companions
If you but cry to me.
Bruce Wren, Chicago
Is it an echo?
Got it.
Your right is my left, your left is my right,
No one can see me when there is no light.
When you cry, I cry, when you smile, I smile,
Whatever you do, I do it in style!
Your moves and actions, I capture with ease,
Your words I can’t match, I can’t speak back please!
I am not your lost twin, I am not your soulmate,
How then your actions, I do emulate?
You check with me to make sure you are fine,
Who am I ? tell me, while there is sunshine!
Just to add: I am Ram from Mumbai, India
Shadow
No it is not a shadow
Shadow
No it is not a shadow
reflection?
ah, yes! It is a mirror image
Riddle
He was a mover, he was a shaker,
He was a poet extraordinaire,
His words have journeyed across the ages,
And keep the readers turning the pages!
Make a move, throw a weapon add an e
If you don’t find his name, just call me!
Name the movement of your head when saying “no”,
What’s the weapon, while hunting, people throw?
There! You have the name of the famous bard!
Surely now, that wasn’t really hard?
Ram, Mumbai, India
Shakespeare
Yes, Rohini! You got it!