Poe: A Valentine

A Puzzle Within A Poem

Feb 13

A Valentine

Edgar Allan Poe

Published in 1846

For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,
     Brightly expressive as the twins of Lœda,
Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling lies
     Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly the lines! — they hold a treasure
     Divine — a talisman — an amulet
That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure —
     The words — the syllables! Do not forget
The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor!
     And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
Which one might not undo without a sabre,
     If one could merely comprehend the plot.
Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering
     Eyes scintillating soul, there lie perdus,
Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing
     Of poets, by poets — as the name is a poet's, too.
Its letters, although naturally lying
     Like the knight Pinto — Mendez Ferdinando —
Still form a synonym for Truth. — Cease trying!
     You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do.

[To translate the address, read the first letter of the first line, followed by the second letter of the second line, the third letter of the third line, the fourth of the fourth, and so on to the end. The name will thus appear.]

* Note from Poe Fortnightly: A Valentine isn’t as tragically romantic as many of Poe’s love poems. It was playful gift, a tribute to a woman Poe was close friends with. You can find her name hidden in the poem by following the instructions above, or you can learn more about her on Wikipedia.

Coming Next to Edgar Allan Poe Fortnightly:

02/27 to 03/01: The Balloon Hoax, a story in three parts.

—

Poe Fortnightly has a Discord server! Join to chat with other Poe fans!