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RIDDLES OF MERLIN by Alfred Noyes

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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A traveler frequently encounters the wizard Merlin, who responds to every common observation with a profound, hidden truth: the sound of the sea actually represents the grass growing on your grave, the grass growing symbolizes the sound of the sea, and the sunset here corresponds to a sunrise in another place.

Poet
Alfred Noyes
Era
Modernist (1922)
Themes
death, mortality, nature
The PoemFull text

RIDDLES OF MERLIN

Alfred Noyes, 1922

As I was walking Alone by the sea, "_What is that whisper?_" Said Merlin to me. "Only," I answered, "The sigh of the wave"-- "_Oh, no_," replied Merlin, "_'Tis the grass on your grave_." As I lay dreaming In churchyard ground "_Listen_," said Merlin, "_What is that sound_?" "The green grass is growing," I answered; but he Chuckled, "_Oh, no! 'Tis the sound of the sea_." As I went homeward At dusk by the shore, "_What is that crimson?_" Said Merlin once more. "Only the sun," I said. "Sinking to rest"-- "_Sunset for East_," he said, "_Sunrise for West_."

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A traveler frequently encounters the wizard Merlin, who responds to every common observation with a profound, hidden truth: the sound of the sea actually represents the grass growing on your grave, the grass growing symbolizes the sound of the sea, and the sunset here corresponds to a sunrise in another place. The poem presents three riddles that all convey the same message — that life and death, endings and beginnings, are essentially intertwined. It evokes a sense that the world is much more complex and enigmatic than it appears at first glance.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. As I was walking / Alone by the sea,

    Editor's note

    The speaker stands alone on a beach, a classic spot for reflection. Merlin shows up and inquires about a sound the speaker hears. The speaker responds with the straightforward answer: it’s just the waves. Merlin turns this around completely, claiming that the whisper is actually the grass growing over the speaker's future grave. The sea, usually a symbol of life and constant movement, is reinterpreted as a warning of death. It’s a shock — the first riddle hits hard because the response is so calm and straightforward.

  2. As I lay dreaming / In churchyard ground

    Editor's note

    Now the speaker is lying in a churchyard — already in the realm of death — and hears the grass growing, which resonates with life and renewal. Merlin flips it again: that vibrant sound is actually the sea. The twist, if you can call it that, reflects the first stanza in reverse. Where the sea represented death, now life transforms into the sea. Merlin's chuckle makes him seem less like a serious prophet and more like someone who genuinely finds the entire riddle amusing.

  3. As I went homeward / At dusk by the shore,

    Editor's note

    The final riddle offers a sense of hope. The speaker observes a crimson sunset and describes it directly. Merlin acknowledges it as a sunset — but only from the East. From the West, that same light represents a sunrise. This is the turning point of the poem: after two stanzas that portrayed life as death, this one shifts the perspective from an ending to a beginning. The term 'homeward' is significant as well — the speaker is on their way home, and Merlin's final response implies that returning home, or moving into death, could be an arrival at a different place.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone feels playful at first—Merlin chuckles, and the exchanges have a game-like quality—but there's a subtle chill lurking beneath. Noyes uses straightforward language and a lively rhythm, making the darker themes hit harder by contrast. By the third stanza, the mood shifts a bit toward something more comforting, allowing the poem to conclude with a sense of wonder instead of dread.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The sea
The sea changes its significance throughout the poem. In the first stanza, it symbolizes life and the present moment; by the second stanza, Merlin connects it to death. Ultimately, it represents the vast, indifferent cycle that encompasses both—something that continues to flow no matter where any individual is located.
The grave / churchyard
The grave isn’t just about death; it’s a destination woven into every moment we live. As I lie in the churchyard, surrounded by the sounds of life, it becomes clear that these two states aren’t opposites — they share the same space.
The sunset / crimson light
The crimson sunset serves as the poem's main image of transformation. It represents the same light interpreted in two different ways based on your perspective. Noyes uses this imagery to imply that death and rebirth, as well as endings and beginnings, are not linear events but occur simultaneously when seen from different viewpoints.
Merlin
Merlin isn't the legendary warrior-wizard from Arthurian tales in this context; instead, he's a symbol of ancient wisdom, full of riddles—someone who perceives beyond the surface. His chuckle adds a layer of humor to his character, preventing him from being purely sinister; he appears to find it amusing, rather than tragic, that humans often overlook the deeper patterns in life.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Alfred Noyes published this poem in the early 1900s, a time when he was fascinated by myth and legend, as well as the clash between scientific rationalism and older perspectives. He favored traditional forms, embracing ballad meters and clear rhyme schemes, even as modernism was steering poetry in a different direction. The character of Merlin had seen a revival in the Victorian era thanks to Tennyson's *Idylls of the King*, and Noyes taps into that shared cultural knowledge, reducing the wizard to his core role: the riddler who perceives what others overlook. The poem's three-part structure reflects the folk riddle traditions found throughout British and Irish oral culture, where appearances can be deceiving and the wise figure often has the final say.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

The poem suggests that life and death aren't opposites; rather, they are two aspects of the same reality. Each sign of life carries with it a hint of death, and each sign of death holds a trace of life. What seems like an ending from one perspective can also be viewed as a beginning from another. Merlin's riddles aim to jolt the speaker — and the reader — out of the tendency to view things as just one way or the other.

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