What makes a riddle both poetic and clever?
I'm exploring how riddles can blend poetic structure with clever wordplay. Some riddles are simply questions with tricky answers, but others feel like miniature poems with rhythm, metaphor, and elegance.
I'm wondering: What elements make a riddle stand out as both poetic and smart? Are there certain techniques (like metaphor, double meaning, rhyme, etc.) that writers use intentionally to elevate a riddle beyond just a logic puzzle?
For context, I recently came across this riddle: "You can have me but cannot hold me; Gain me and quickly lose me. If treated with care I can be great, And if betrayed I will break."
The answer is hidden in case you would like to guess:
Hidden answer
TrustI find the phrasing almost literary.
Are there any guides, examples, or writing strategies you'd recommend for crafting riddles that feel like both puzzles and poetry?
1 answer
This probably isn't a complete, or even particularly insightful answer, but to start the conversation, I suspect that it has a lot to do with not writing them as riddles. In a lot of ways, you've largely described something like an ode that happens to never identify its subject.
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