There is no Spoon

 

In the movie The Matrix, the protagonist, Neo, observes a boy monk bend a spoon with his mind. He asks the boy how he did it. The exchange follows:

Boy: “Do not try and bend the spoon—that’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth.”

Neo: “What truth?”

Boy: “There is no spoon. Then you’ll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.”

To solve the mystery of “A green tower of lights” we must only try to realize the truth, to change our interpretation rather than try to change reality. The simple truth is that there is no tower, not a green one anyway. Nowhere in the vicinity of the Puopolo ball fields is there a green-colored tower. The idea of a green tower is just a façade, a distraction from the truth. Embracing the fact that there is no tower allows us to look for other interpretations of these words, and  ultimately, to bend the spoon. 

When we think of the word green, we generally think of the adjective, the color green, but there are also some less common noun definitions to consider, such as a putting green. In context, one reasonable definition of the word green that I was previously unfamiliar with is, “a piece of public or common grassy land.” Similarly, we usually use the noun form of the word tower, such as the Eiffel Tower. But there’s also a verb form of the word, as in how a tall person might tower over someone shorter. Putting these two definitions together, the words “A green tower of lights” become a piece of public grassy land towered over by lights. I think this is a decent description of a lit ball field. The next line, “In the middle section,” tells us that we want the middle ball field. 

As noted earlier, when Byron wrote, “...Man often found his strength in words,” he was likely hinting at the importance of the words in these puzzles. Byron’s vast knowledge of the English language combined with his deep understanding of grammar allowed him to write sentences and phrases that are puns, holding multiple meanings, one being a straightforward interpretation meant only as a distraction, and another hidden interpretation that is the actual clue.

Regarding my interpretation of the “green tower of lights,” if you don’t believe me, please go to a dictionary and look up the words “green” and “tower.” You’ll see that the definitions I’ve described are correct. 

Near those

Who pass the coliseum 

With metal walls 

Now we look for something that resembles a coliseum with metal walls, right? 

Welcome to Level 4.

In the introduction to the Japanese version hints, Byron states that part of the challenge of each puzzle is determining which lines go together. Our current point in this poem is an excellent example of just how tricky combining lines can be. We want to read the clue to include “…the coliseum with metal walls,” but there’s nothing in the area that fits this description. So we must look for an alternate explanation.

“Near those who pass the coliseum” is meant to be taken all by itself. It alludes to the people who pass the Coliseum in Rome every day, in other words, Italians. Byron has slyly hidden another allusion to The North End where there is a high concentration of Italian-Americans. Now we need to figure out where to go next. 

Welcome to Level 5.