Riddle - Poetic Form

Poetic Form

On the Indian subcontinent, Amir Khusro made the poetic riddles popular. An example:

(In Hindi)
Nar naari kehlaati hai,
aur bin warsha jal jati hai;
Purkh say aaway purkh mein jaai,
na di kisi nay boojh bataai.
English translation
Is known by both masculine and feminine names,
And burns up without rain;
Originates from a man and goes into a man,
But no one has been able to guess what it is.

The highlight here is nadi, or "river".

And in the form of a contemporary, English language example:

Cyanide sibilance.
Satan’s equivalence.
Folly to trust a swiller of dust.
Stripéd ambivalence.

Here, the riddle is merely implied while certain formal structures of poetry are maintained. The riddle above is one of a series of riddle poems following the same poetic rules.

Read more about this topic:  Riddle

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