The Sphinx

James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)



I know all about the Sphinx--
I know even what she thinks,
Staring with her stony eyes
Up forever at the skies.

For last night I dreamed that she
Told me all the mystery--
Why for aeons mute she sat--:
She was just cut out for that!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

14 sec read
94

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCDD
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 233
Words 49
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 4, 4

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. more…

All James Whitcomb Riley poems | James Whitcomb Riley Books

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    "The Sphinx" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/21123/the-sphinx>.

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    AA Milne wrote: "A bear, however hard he tries..."
    A "can never stop telling lies"
    B "stinks and attracts the flies"
    C "grows tubby with no exercise"
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