Name : Alfiananda Puspitasari
Class : X5/01
RIDDLE
Definitions
Riddle is a question, a puzzle, a phrase or a statement
devised to get unexpected or clever answers. It is a folklore
genre as well as rhetorical device, having often veiled or
double meanings.
When someone uses it as a puzzle or a question, it could be
a thought provoking challenge for the audience to figure it out
themselves, or it could be a funny comment intended to make
the audience laugh. Some riddles show the wit of protagonists
in a narrative, allowing them to escape a terrible situation by
using their wit rather than their strength.
Often times, puzzling riddles tell us that we cannot answer
some questions, leading to hours of perturbed head
scratching. However, it opens our minds to a number of
possibilities.
Types of Riddle
There are two main types of riddle:
Ω Enigmas – Enigmas are problems expressed
in an allegorical or metaphorical language,
requiring careful thinking and ingenuity for
solving them.
Ω Conundrums – Conundrums are questions
that rely on punning for creating effects in a
question.
Function of Riddle
In written literature, riddles deceive the audience with
its meanings. As far as its purpose is concerned, it explores
questions with enough thoroughness in order to provide
readers a clear view of major issues.
Riddles could be generally conversational starters or
brain busters to get readers think, while in oral literature,
riddles serve as the competition of wits and skills and
guessing games. However, if the audience knows the
answer they take pleasure in hearing them repeatedly.
Gaming riddles reveal the playful side of language in a
manageable form. Besides, it is usually possible to draw
appropriate metaphors from good riddles.
Example
1. The faster you run, the faster it is. The
slower you run, the slower it is.
Answer : The shadow
2. It doesn’t have foot but it can run. It
always remind you of something.
Answer : The time
3. A creature that created by God and
its invisible
Answer : Soul
4. What is white when it's dirty and black when it's clean?
Answer : A blackboard
5. What starts with a “P”, and ends with an
“E”, and has thousands of letter?
Answer : Post Office
6. What has a face and two hands, but
no arms no legs?
Answer : A clock
7. What has a neck but no head ?
Answer : A bottle
8. I have 12 legs, 12 arms and 8 heads. What am I?
Answer : A liar!
9. Take away my first letter, and I still
sound the same. Take away my last
letter, I still sound the same. Even take
away my letter in the middle, I will still
sound the same. I am a five letter word.
What am I ?
Answer : EMPTY
10. “Three eyes have I, all in a row; when
the red one opens, all freeze.”
Answer : traffic light.
11. Which room has no doors, no
windows?
Answer : Mushroom.
12. What is something you will never
see again?
Answer : Yesterday
13. What is the end of everything?
Answer : The letter “g”.
14. Imagine you are in a dark room.
How do you get out?
Answer : Stop imagining
15. If you have me, you want to share
me. If you share me, you haven’t got
me. What am I?
Answer : Secret.
16. My father is white but I am black, I am
a bird without wings, fly to the clouds.
I give tears of mourning in those who
encounter me, however, there is no
reason for mourning because once I
am born I am dissolved into air. Now
can you guess who am I?
Answer : It is smoke.
17. What has roots as nobody sees,
Is taller than trees,
Up, up it goes,
And yet never grows?
Answer : Mountain
18. Alive without breath,
As cold as death;
Never thirsty, ever drinking,
All in mail never clinking.
Answer : Fish
19. It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes out first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.
Answer : Dark
20. Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.
Answer : Wind
