Analysis of A Valentine



What secret do I guard?
Initially one would think
That the contents of this card
Have no loving link.
Look first at what is written
On this page you’ll view
Very clearly hidden
Eternal love for you.
Forget what is said in the middle,
Reject what is said at the end,
Observing one word in a riddle
Makes sense of the message I send.
Keep your eyes on each line in question
Each letter may seek a reply,
If it leads to this suggestion,
The answer is less than a lie.
Here ends the name that you’re reading,
Then you’ll be reading your own.
One is, and all are succeeding
Know that the next here is shown!
And so, as my message is ending,
You’ll see the puzzle untwine!

What secret am I defending?
Who is your Valentine?

K. J. Trutzenbach.


Scheme ABABCDCDEFEFCGCGHIHIHC HX X
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 110111 0100111 1010111 11101 1111110 11111 101010 010111 011110010 01111101 010110010 11101011 111111010 11011001 11111010 01011101 11011110 1111011 11011010 1101111 011110110 110101 11011010 11110 111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 771
Words 168
Sentences 13
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 22, 2, 1
Lines Amount 25
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 190
Words per stanza (avg) 47

About this poem

It is ridiculous that people send St. Valentine’s Day cards without their names on them; so here is one with my name and the person to whom it was sent.

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Written on 1962

Submitted by keithtrutz on February 27, 2023

Modified on April 12, 2023

50 sec read
59

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