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[The first poem below laments, in a somewhat Shakespearean style, a lover's betrayal; the second is about a country under the thrall of an unjust ruler. Besides being anagrams of each other, the poems have another unusual feature, which is revealed below.
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Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know
Where life hath no more interest but to breathe.
Ay, thou shalt find us ready for thee still,
So safely ordered that there is no soul.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more:
Lo, she is one of this confederacy!
Ay, and much more; but I was born so high,
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate.
Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed?
I think he be transform'd into a beast,
To slander music any more than once.
Why, 'tis no matter, man: if they did hear,
What if I stray'd no farther, but chose here?
Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy,
The Gordian knot of it he will unloose,
And nobleness impose. At least, thus much:
To bring this matter to the wished end.
My lords, at once: the care you have of us,
And lay those honours on your high desert.
Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright
Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine.
There is another comfort than this world;
Come, then, for with a wound I must be cur'd.
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I will not choose what many men desire,
I am far better born than is the King.
How many hours brings about the day
Too terrible for the ear? The time has been,
An honest country lord, as I am, beaten -
The other lords like lions wanting food.
Father, 'tis thus: yourself and all the world
Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase.
Why should a friend be treacherous? If that
This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge.
My heart is not confederate with my hand;
O, had it been a stranger, not my child!
He holds your temper in a high respect;
You are so noble. To your Highness' hand,
If then the King your father will restore,
Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun!
And let us two devise to bring him thither,
Which reformation must be sudden too.
So, under Him that great supremacy,
And of the loyal service of his son,
You that are thus so tender o'er his follies,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,
Under the cool shade of a sycamore,
Take on with me, and ne'er be satisfied!
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[Answer: every line in both poems is an unaltered line from one of Shakespeare's plays. The origin of each line is shown in the right column below. All lines were taken from the same edition of Shakespeare, the one that's online at Project Gutenberg here.]
Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know | Richard II, Act 5, Sc. 3 |
Where life hath no more interest but to breathe. | Titus Andronicus, Act 3, Sc. 1 |
Ay, thou shalt find us ready for thee still, | Henry VI Part I, Act 2, Sc. 4 |
So safely ordered that there is no soul. | The Tempest, Act 1, Sc. 2 |
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more: | Henry V, Act 4, Sc. 3 |
Lo, she is one of this confederacy! | A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3, Sc. 2 |
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Ay, and much more; but I was born so high, | Richard III, Act 1, Sc. 3 |
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate. | Henry VI Part I, Act 3, Sc. 1 |
Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl! | Othello, Act 1, Sc. 1 |
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed? | Hamlet, Act 3, Sc. 4 |
I think he be transform'd into a beast, | As You Like It, Act 2, Sc. 7 |
To slander music any more than once. | Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2, Sc. 3
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Why, 'tis no matter, man: if they did hear, | Titus Andronicus, Act 3, Sc. 1 |
What if I stray'd no farther, but chose here? | The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Sc. 7 |
Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy, | King John, Act 2, Sc. 1 |
The Gordian knot of it he will unloose, | Henry V, Act 1, Sc. 1< |
And nobleness impose. At least, thus much: | The Winter's Tale, Act 2, Sc. 3 |
To bring this matter to the wished end. | Henry VI Part I, Act 3, Sc. 3 |
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My lords, at once: the care you have of us, | Henry VI, Part II, Act 3, Sc. 1 |
And lay those honours on your high desert. | Richard III, Act 1, Sc. 3 |
Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright | Hamlet, Act 5, Sc. 2 |
Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine. | Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act 4, Sc. 2 |
There is another comfort than this world; | Measure for Measure, Act 5, Sc. 1 |
Come, then, for with a wound I must be cur'd. | Antony and Cleopatra, Act 4, Sc. 11 |
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I will not choose what many men desire, | The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Sc. 9 |
I am far better born than is the King. | Henry VI Part II, Act 5, Sc. 1 |
How many hours brings about the day | Henry VI Part III, Act 2, Sc. 5 |
Too terrible for the ear? The time has been, | Macbeth, Act 1, Sc. 4 |
An honest country lord, as I am, beaten - | Henry VIII, Act 1, Sc. 3 |
The other lords like lions wanting food. | Henry VI Part I, Act 1, Sc. 2 |
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Father, 'tis thus: yourself and all the world | Taming of the Shrew, Act 2, Sc. 1 |
Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase. | Titus Andronicus, Act 2, Sc. 2 |
Why should a friend be treacherous? If that | The Two Noble Kinsmen, Act 5, Sc. 4 |
This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge. | Henry VI Part II, Act 2, Sc. 1 |
My heart is not confederate with my hand; | Richard II, Act 5, Sc. 3 |
O, had it been a stranger, not my child! | Richard II, Act 1, Sc. 3 |
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He holds your temper in a high respect; | Henry IV Part I, Act 3, Sc. 1 |
You are so noble. To your Highness' hand, | Henry VIII, Act 2, Sc. 2 |
If then the King your father will restore, | Love's Labours Lost, Act 2, Sc. 2 |
Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun! | Henry VIII, Act 4, Sc. 2 |
And let us two devise to bring him thither, | Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 4, Sc. 4 |
Which reformation must be sudden too. | Henry VIII, Act 5, Sc. 3 |
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So, under Him that great supremacy, | King John, Act 3, Sc. 1 |
And of the loyal service of his son, | King Lear, Act 4, Sc. 2 |
You that are thus so tender o'er his follies, | The Winter's Tale, Act 2, Sc. 3 |
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth, | Measure for Measure, Act 5, Sc. 1 |
Under the cool shade of a sycamore, | Love's Labours Lost, Act 5, Sc. 2 |
Take on with me, and ne'er be satisfied! | Henry VI Part III, Act 2, Sc. 5 |
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