“I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality”[1]– James Joyce

Timeless Riddles is back with some more perplexing puzzles to unpack. Was anyone able to solve the rebus from last time? The solution is ‘TOBACCO’. The riddle basically breaks down the word into visual descriptions. ‘T’ is three-fourths of a cross, ‘O’ is a circle complete, ‘B’ is comprised of two semi-circles and a perpendicular, ‘A’ is a triangle on two legs, both ‘C’s are semi-circles, and ‘O’ is another complete circle! Brilliant, isn’t it?

Today we have a Mother’s Day special for all of you power riddlers! The Acrostic. The acrostic is another kind of visual riddle. This riddle also uses the visual arrangement of letters to reveal its answer, but in a slightly different way from rebuses. Its solution is made up of the first letter of each sentence.

If you follow each in descending order, you’ll find out the answer to this acrostic:

Mira have Pity and forgive my Crime

Inspir’d by thee, I Dare attempt to Rhime,

Superior Charms are in your Person seen;

Such as ye Poets feign the Gyptian Queen.

More Lively colours than ye Rose can Boast,

Adam your Cheeks in Admiration Lost,

Regarding BEAUX the Pow’r of Beauty feel

You Wounds, you Conquer but forget to Seal.

Know Lovely Maid you Excellent so Great

Is past ye Arts of Language to Relate

No Longer Free thy Pow’r. I fully Prove

Gains on ye Heart and Ripens into Love.

See how the first letter of each sentence makes up a name? The solution to this acrostic is ‘Miss Mary King’. As Mother’s Day is right around the corner, think of it as an adorable way to say thank you to a parent! How about you try one yourselves? This one is an acrostic enigma! Each sentence must be solved individually. Then, use the answers to arrive at the solution for the whole riddle.

That goddess who sprung from Jupiter’s brain;

What Bacchus is crown’d with as poets feign;

A bird that rises when morning just breaks;

An instrument whose sound courage awakes;

Eho charm’d with his music the rocks and the trees;

A fabulous god that guards the green seas.

The initials above when rightly you’ve found,

Will name you a poet whose works are renown’d[2]

Chime in – we would love to know if you have any guesses for this acrostic enigma. Please feel free to comment in the form below. We had a similar riddle competition last year, and you can see the answers as well. Don’t forget to tune in next time for the answer.

Find out more here. To stay involved, follow us on Instagram! You can also reach out to @McGillLib, @McGillRoaar or email theriddleprojectmcgill@gmail.com.

Keep calm and riddle on!

[1] Pg. 12, Julie Sloan Brannon, Who Reads Ulysses?: The Rhetoric of the Joyce Wars and the Common Reader (Psychology Press, 2003) https://bit.ly/2V0Uw9f.

[2] Taken from Pg. 160, “The Lady’s Magazine Or Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex: Appropriated Solely to Their Use and Amusement.” Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, vol. 20, 1789.