Can the position of a clue in a verse be used to help answer said clue?
While the Secret has demonstrated a few patterns within its puzzle construct--immigration, coordinates and birth months, for example--the verses still seem a bit of an enigma. Are propers always capitalized? Seems no. Are letters always names? But 'v' is lowercase. Can everything be 'found' on site? How do we even pair lines? I digress...
A while back, I went deep into one of Chris’ and my favorite pastimes: Verse structure. One thing I like to play with when looking at verse structure is reassessing common interpretations of clues in relation to how information is conveyed structurally in other verses. By finding a consistency among multiple verses, it can be enlightening to force that concept to the rest and see what shakes out. Global rules are a slippery slope, but if he repeated a method just one time, that could be extremely helpful.
Accordingly, based on placement in the verse, perhaps some clues we assume are small and on site are actually large and mappable. Or perhaps small and on site clues can be found using an associated clue based on where they fall in relationship to one another within the verse. Playing with categorizing clues or pairing clues could simply help to come up with further interpretations for clues that may not have been arrived at otherwise.
I’ve dubbed the below: "Intraverse Bookends"
Within quite a few verses, it seems that the beginning and end lines reference the same place, building, or structure. In tandem, these lines can be used to identify what it is that the clues are referencing. We can then use this information to find the hunt area on a map from the comfort of our home, and confirm the area is correct once we arrive.
First, evidence:
Chicago:
The end of the verse gives us some mappables: Rumble, Brush, Music, Hush.
We have a railroad next to a museum and symphony hall near a Library.
At each of these points, we have our beginning clues:
M&B are on the Symphony across from the Great Lakes statue at the Museum.
Congress Ave crosses the Railroad and gets to L.
R is Roosevelt University’s Library Building.
We can use the end of the verse to find our area and in turn find the smaller clues at the beginning of the verse. The beginning and end work together to give us some confirmable mappables. Congress included.
Cleveland:
"Beneath two countries as the road curves." On a map, we're looking for two things named after countries at a curving road.
"Seek the columns for the search." The Japanese clue tells us to look for famous columns. Paired with the first clue, we're now looking for something with Greek architecture on that map. Once there, you find actual columns to confirm.
Boston:
The Walpole quote resolves not only to Boston, but also the area of his direction, the North End.
At the end of the verse we get the more well known Paul Revere references and a possible reference to the freedom trail. All three point to the North End on a map. Once you arrive, freedom trail and Paul Revere confirmations abound.
Roanoke:
At the beginning of the verse we "pass two friends of octave." Let's say this is the Wright brothers monument as they are friends of Octave Chanute.
At the end of the verse, we get the "Dauntless and inconquerable determination" quote from the monument and a "look north at the wing."
Used together, we pass the monument at the beginning, and confirm it with the end. We also use it to position ourselves.
Using that info to play with a few verses:
New York:
Some already like the Statue of Liberty for some combo of Grey Giant or arm extended above the [Narrows.] She could be supported by this theory as many also believe that the last line has us gazing north at the statue and Isle of Bedloe. Found on a map; positions us for the hunt area.
Houston:
Fortress North/Friendship South/To the number 982. These seem to position us in relation to places that might be found on a map. Using Bookends, maybe we can feel more confident that the last line, "a whistle blows." is helping to identify 982 as the train thus getting us to the area.
St Aug:
Interesting that this one starts with "The first chapter written in water" and ends with more water: "Years pass, rain falls." As we know, this first clue can be found on site, maybe the end clue is large and mappable?
Other fleeting thoughts:
Are "the namesakes meeting" mappable? Intersections meet. Do jewels abound there somehow?
I know some of the common "White Houses" near white point could be found on maps of the time. Maybe the altered treasure island reference can tie in with this white house as well?
Are Lane and Two Twenty Two mappable? Is 'get permission' a visual clue or riddle that relates somehow?
Does the Giant Pole and Giant Step relate to stone wall’s door? Are they mappable? Is stone wall’s door mappable? Are the pole and step a feature of whatever stone wall’s door resolves to?
**Thanks to Woodford for proofing and adding conviction.