Answer these six Anglo-Saxon riddles from the Senior Brit Lit class, and e-mail your answers to [email protected]. The winner will receive a prize!
1. I am having an identity crisis
Because no one calls me by my name
Without pairing me with my twin.
We are never far from each other
But we have very different purposes.
Use me wisely and I will excite
Even the dullest of dull,
But too much of me and you will soon regret your indulgence.
You know me very well but
Can you name me without mentioning my face stealer?
Who am I?
2. I am the keeper of possibilities,
the passion-weaver.
I am fed with colorful ideas.
I can uplift hearts or bring forth tears.
I open eyes and unlock minds.
I speak to those who look at me
But I do not talk.
To others I am constantly changing
And yet I stay the same.
Who am I?
3. As a Prince of Papyrus, I reside in the Palace of Pupils.
I wait all day fighting loneliness and hunger
Until an enemy approaches; he strikes me on the head.
I bite back! Yet I have barely left a wound…
Merely a puncture on the surface. But alas!
I have left a spike in his splendor, metal in his masterpiece.
His flimsy thoughts, now unified, will never fly free in the wind again.
Then again I am cast into the depths of the desk-dungeon.
Who am I?
4. I weave emotion’s essence with my long threads
Handled deftly by careful fingers.
When relaxed, I am at harmony with the world, unable to fret,
But when tense, I groan and screech.
Alone I am worthless, unless–loneliness drives me to silence
Without human embrace, my brilliance cannot be revealed.
My voice livens my wooden house and reaches outside its bounds.
From black and white I bring the rainbow’s gift.
Who am I?
5. What you need to survive may sometimes grow cold,
But I can fix that for you.
I am convenient and therefore loved by most,
But some debate about me:
Do I pose a risk to the life-substance you consume?
Nonetheless, on the daily I serve you,
Quickly making warm what you desire.
I can even tell the time of day.
Who am I?
6. I am a lovely, long-awaited treasure.
Preparations for my arrival begin
When the tree-accessories are
Ready to change their summer shades.
The day revolves around me
And my new overjoyed owner,
Celebrated with a harmonious melody.
I am proudly rotated round and round,
A beloved circle of dark and light.
That same night I shine
Brighter than most starry skies.
My presence a reminder
Of tradition, sisterhood and love.
Who am I?