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For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,
Brightly expressive as the twins of Loeda.
Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling lies
Upon, the page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly the lines! — they hold a treasure
Divine—a talisman—an amulet
That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure
The words—the syllables! Do not forget
The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor!
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
Which one might not undo without a saber,
If one could merely comprehend the plot.
Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering
Eyes scintillating soul, there lies perdus
Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing
Of poets, by poets as the name is a poet's, too.
Its letters, although naturally lying
Like the knight Pinto—Mendez Ferdinando
Still form a synonym for Truth. Cease trying!
You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do.
— Poe's Poems, Henneberry Edition, c.1901
This poem was stealthily dedicated to Poe's friend Frances Sargent Osgood. Increment a letter on each line from 1 to 20 to find the name (highlighted above).
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