Point of View and Speaker. Point of view is the vantage point from which a literary work is told. Stories are typically told from the first-person point of view, in which the narrator uses words such as I and we; from a second-person point of view, in which the narrator uses you; or from a third-person point of view, in which the narrator uses words such as he, she it, and they. The speaker is the character who speaks in, or narrates, a poem—the voice assumed by the writer. Anglo-Saxon riddles are of two different types: in the first type, the speaker is the riddler himself or herself; in the second, the speaker is the subject of the riddle.
As you read, pay attention to what point of view is used and whether the speaker is the riddler or the object described in the riddle.
Personification. Personification is a figure of speech in which an idea, animal, or thing is described as if it were a person. As you read the riddles, jot down some examples of personification in your notebook.
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A riddle is a word game in which something is described in an unusual way and the reader or listener must figure out what that something is. Sometimes the clues in a riddle obscure the answer; at other times the answer is obvious. The more valuable aspect of riddles is their descriptive imagery, which often helps the reader see things in a new, vivid way. The riddles on the following pages show an interesting combination of light-hearted word play and a grim worldview. As you read the riddles, look for clues to figure out what each one describes.
Some people like riddles and others do not. What are your own thoughts and feelings about riddles?
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