A few years ago some of us enjoyed trying to work out the puzzle poems that were featured in the "Girls' Own Annual" in the 1890s. Now seems like a good time to start posting them again, so I was busy with my camera earlier on today and have another seven safely on my HDD.

For those who haven't tried them before, just copy and paste what's already been solved adding in your new ideas.

When we're agreed that we're stuck, I'll post the solution.

This one looks as though it might be a toughie, I've tried a lot of them over the years and it already has me stumped!



Christmas Memories

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

I think it starts
Christmas Memories

1 - Where are the Christmases of days gone by?

_________________
to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
e.e.cummings
http://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

I'll add,

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

What do those 4 dots that feature several times symbolise? I feel I should know, but I've just lost a good half hour googling them to no avail.

Four dots is apparently a mathematical symbol indicating that two ratios or relationships are the same, and is read as 'as' - the things one learns via the internet! The only one that I knew like that is the triangle of dots to mean 'therefore'. I'll continue cogitating...

Well done! I'd managed to work out it was a maths symbol, but even so, my google results just kept bringing up things like what it means as a tattoo!

So on that basis I think I can do line 9...

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13
14

_________________
to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
e.e.cummings
http://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces
3 Ah me, the anxious labors that befell
4
5
6
7
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13
14

5 is something along the lines of preparation is half the battle/victory, but I can't work out how the symbols at the end say battle/victory!

_________________
We really must stop eating like this ...

Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open.

http://setinthepast.wordpress.com/

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces
3 Ah me, the anxious labours that befell
4
5
6
7
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13 Find that...........heart pure................graves
14 A loving picture

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces that I loved so well
3 Ah me, the anxious labours that befell
4
5
6
7
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13 Find that...........heart pure................graves
14 A loving picture

_________________
to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
e.e.cummings
http://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces that I loved so well
3 Ah me, the anxious labours that befell
4
5
6 The Holy Eve, the early morning bell
7
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13 Find that...........heart pure................graves
14 A loving picture

I got as far as the preparation then I was stuck, although I thought the last word might be loyalty. I think you're right about the 5050 meaning half though, I'd not thought of that.

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces that I loved so well
3 Ah me, the anxious labours that befell
4
5
6 The Holy Eve, the early morning bell
7
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13 Find that...........heart pure................graves
14 A loving picture of seraphic crowds

I think we're supposed to allow for sound alikes, aren't we?

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces that I loved so well
3 Ah me, the anxious labours that befell
4
5
6 The Holy Eve, the early morning bell
7
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13 Find that the heart pure love engraves
14 A loving picture of seraphic crowds

...is it crowds or clouds?

_________________
to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
e.e.cummings
http://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

Christmas Memories

1 Where are the Christmases of days gone by?
2 Where the sweet faces that I loved so well
3 Ah me, the anxious labours that befell
4 Father and Mother come over............
5 The preparation is under all the....................
6 The Holy Eve, the early morning bell
7 The.........................sea's swell (or is it pulse's swell? Do pulse's swell??)
8
9 And as the years recede as roll the wavy seas
10
11
12
13 Find that the heart pure love engraves
14 A loving picture of seraphic crowds

I think it's crowds. This one seems even tougher than usual, or perhaps we're just out of practice! I don't doubt that when I come to look up the solution, some Victorian Miss will have solved it correctly down the last comma!

There may be fewer of us doing it, too...?

_________________
to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
e.e.cummings
http://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

We were only a handful the last time, but we still did pretty well! The Board in general seems pretty slow at the moment, which I imagine is down to the fine weather. I've been catching up on the gardening and I'm guessing that others have too. When the weather changes, perhaps some fresh pairs of eyes will discover it!

It's something like 40 years ago that I bought the first "Girl's Own Annual" and came across the puzzle poems. Although I've picked up a few of the tricks of the trade over the years (a bit like cryptic crosswords in that respect), I've never actually managed to finish one. I do find it much more fun when there's a few of us all attempting to solve one together though.

There's been no activity here for a while, so I think it's time to post the solution. This one was a real toughie.



Should I put another one up?

Thanks for the solution, and yes, please, Annie - as you say, that was a tough one, though it was satisfying to solve, where we managed it. (I mean even the English is convoluted - would you want to translate that poem into another language?)

Just out of curiosity, I looked up the Examiners' Report to see if anyone had sent in a perfect solution. I was rather taken aback to read the read the first line. See for yourself! It also gives you some idea just how accurate the solvers had to be in those days actually to win one of the prizes. (The 5 winners of the top prize received 10/- each and the 11 winners of the second prize - including 2 Reverends - 5/- each.)