• Submit Poetry
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Support SCP
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Art
    • Children’s Poetry
    • Covid-19
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Found Poems
    • Human Rights in China
    • Humor
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • Terrorism
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
  • Poetry Forms
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Pantoum
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondeau
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Sestina
    • Shape Poems
    • Sonnet
    • Terza Rima
    • Triolet
    • Villanelle
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Art
    • Children’s Poetry
    • Covid-19
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Found Poems
    • Human Rights in China
    • Humor
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • Terrorism
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
  • Poetry Forms
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Pantoum
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondeau
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Sestina
    • Shape Poems
    • Sonnet
    • Terza Rima
    • Triolet
    • Villanelle
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Humor

Six Riddles for Autumn 2024, by Evan Mantyk

November 4, 2024
in Humor, Poetry, Riddles
A A
14

.

I.
I travel thanks to water,
But do not float or sail.
More quickly than an otter
And have a smoke-like tail.

What am I?

.

II>.

II.
When at the beach, I soak up sun,
Look down on waves (that’s always fun),
But sometimes I get carried away,
Especially on windy days.

What am I?

.

.

III.
I walk where I like to enjoy a good salad
And those lines on the road, well I find them invalid.
Perhaps you have seen me while you’re driving past.
Hey! those lights are nice but you’re going too—

What was I?

.

.

IV.
I’m bigger than my mother
But also I am smaller.
I’m colder than she is
And when I talk she freezes.
She wants me to use Danish
Though I feel that’s a pain-ish.

What am I?

.

.

V.
My hair is green and long.
I always make a point.
My body’s hard and strong
But if you should disjoint
It, you will see an eye;
With tears of orange I cry.

What am I?

.

.

VI.
An umbrella, a mushroom,
A thick cream or a dream?
I keep changing my shape—
The sky’s billowing cape.

What am I?

.

.

Evan Mantyk teaches literature and history in New York and is Editor of the Society of Classical Poets. His most recent books of poetry are Heroes of the East and West, and a translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. 

RELATED

‘When Helen Keller Met Mark Twain’: A Poem by Brian Yapko

‘When Helen Keller Met Mark Twain’: A Poem by Brian Yapko

September 21, 2025
Five Rose Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, Translated by Alan Orsborn

‘Roses Are Red’: A Poem by Evan Tester

September 10, 2025

ANSWERS: I. steam train, II. umbrella, III. deer, IV. Greenland, V. carrot, VI. cloud
ShareTweetShare
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here
Next Post
‘Continuation’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

A Poem for the 2024 Presidential Election: 'Polarities' by C.B. Anderson

Nov. 5 Guy Fawkes Day Poem, by Paul A. Freeman

Nov. 5 Guy Fawkes Day Poem, by Paul A. Freeman

Post Your Election Day Poems Here

An Election Day Poem: 'Voting Advice' by Warren Bonham

Comments 14

  1. Cynthia Erlandson says:
    11 months ago

    II. A kite
    III. A deer
    VI. A cloud

    Otherwise, I’m stumped.

    Reply
  2. Mark Stellinga says:
    11 months ago

    1. A wave
    2. A kite
    3. A deer ( we recently got kamikazied by one while on vacation)
    4. ???
    5. ???
    6. A cloud

    Reply
  3. Paul Erlandson says:
    11 months ago

    I. Comet
    II. Umbrella
    III. Armadillo

    Reply
  4. Roy Eugene Peterson says:
    11 months ago

    V. Carrot.

    Reply
    • Cynthia Erlandson says:
      11 months ago

      I don’t think I’ve ever seen a carrot cry. ? 🙂

      Reply
  5. Martin Elster says:
    11 months ago

    1. a steam train
    2. a beach umbrella
    3. a deer (“caught like a deer in headlights”)
    4. Greenland
    5. carrot

    Reply
  6. Martin Elster says:
    11 months ago

    1. a steam train
    2. a beach umbrella
    3. a deer (“caught like a deer in headlights”)
    4. Greenland
    5. a carrot
    6. a cloud

    Reply
  7. Maria says:
    11 months ago

    IV. Dough?? as in bread, pain-ish !

    Reply
  8. Rohini says:
    11 months ago

    These are such fun! Thank you for brightening up a dull, cloudy day.
    I) Salmon
    II) Kite
    III) Deer
    IV) Yeast
    V) Carrot
    VI) Clouds

    Reply
  9. Evan Mantyk says:
    11 months ago

    Thank you all for trying! Martin nailed it.

    Reply
    • Martin Elster says:
      11 months ago

      Thanks, Evan! I very much enjoyed these clever little poems of yours.

      Reply
  10. Margaret Coats says:
    11 months ago

    Good contributions to one of the most venerable genres in English literature, Evan.

    Reply
  11. Susan Jarvis Bryant says:
    11 months ago

    Thank you, Evan. What utter fun! I’m too late to partake, but I’m not too late to ask in true Dickensian fashion – MORE please!

    Reply
  12. Pamela Ruggiero says:
    8 months ago

    Yes. I think the last one is a cloud also, but all were enjoyable to read. Thank you for posting.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Discussions

  • Garima Obrah on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
  • Prashant Rawal on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
  • Michael Vanyukov on ‘Dear Blabby’s Advice for the Clueless’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • Michael Vanyukov on ‘Absalom, Absalom’: A Poem by Brian Yapko
  • Sreeja Mohandas on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
  • Amie on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
  • Katherine Davies on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
  • Leslie Hendrickson-Baral on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
  • Paulette Calasibetta on ‘Absalom, Absalom’: A Poem by Brian Yapko
  • Joseph S. Salemi on ‘Absalom, Absalom’: A Poem by Brian Yapko
  • Prae Pathanasethpong on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
  • Venessa Lee-Estevez on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Archive

Categories

Quick Links

  • Submit Poetry
  • About Us
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
OR

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Art
    • Children’s Poetry
    • Covid-19
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Found Poems
    • Human Rights in China
    • Humor
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • Terrorism
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
  • Poetry Forms
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Pantoum
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondeau
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Sestina
    • Shape Poems
    • Sonnet
    • Terza Rima
    • Triolet
    • Villanelle
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.