AN ENIGMA.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Seldom we find," says Solomon Don Dunce,
    "Half an idea in the profoundest sonnet.
Through all the flimsy things we see at once
    As easily as through a Naples bonnet —
    Trash of all trash! — how can a lady don it?
Yet heavier far than your Petrarchan stuff-
Owl-downy nonsense that the faintest puff
    Twirls into trunk-paper the while you con it."
And, veritably, Sol is right enough.
The general tuckermanities are arrant
Bubbles — ephemeral and so transparent —
    But this is, now, — you may depend upon it —
Stable, opaque, immortal — all by dint
Of the dear names that lie concealed within 't.

1950. O nome escondido neste poema é Sarah Anna Lewis, como mostrado abaixo. Para melhor visualização, foram retiradas as pontuações e espaços.

S eldomwefindsaysSolomonDonDunce      
H a lfanideaintheprofoundestsonnet
Th r oughalltheflimsythingsweseeatonce
Ase a silyasthroughaNaplesbonnet
Tras h ofalltrashhow can aladydonit
Yethe a vierfarthanyourPetrarchanstuff
Owldow n ynonsensethatthefaintestpuff
Twirlsi n totrunkpaperthewhileyouconit
Andverit a blySolisrightenough
Thegenera l tuckermanitiesarearrant
Bubbleseph e meraland so transparent
Butthisisno w youmaydependuponit
Stableopaque i mmortalallbydint
Ofthedearname s thatlieconcealedwithint