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Come ponder with me, as we go forth,
How we behave in a manner of worth.

With a single change, that worth is no more.
Instead we consider the ones before.

After one more change, seen with different eyes,
We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

To solve my riddle thoroughly,
You'll need to give me answers three.


Hint 1

You are looking for three words that can be changed into each other according to the instructions in the poem.

Hint 2

The first line of the poem is meant only as an introduction. "Going forth" is not a clue to the word you're looking for.

Hint 3

I'm looking for 3 adverbs, of 10 letters each.

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  • $\begingroup$ I'll ponder with you, but will you ponder with me too? $\endgroup$
    – Kalis
    Apr 15, 2015 at 15:48

8 Answers 8

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The answers are

PRECIOUSLY, PREVIOUSLY, GRIEVOUSLY

Come ponder with me, as we go forth,
How we behave in a manner of worth.

Preciously means "of high cost or worth".

With a single change, that worth is no more.
Instead we consider the ones before.

Change the c to a v to get previously, meaning "earlier or coming before"

After one more change, seen with different eyes,
We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

Change the p to a g and move the i (seen with different "eyes") to get grievously, which means "serious or dire" (not trivial).

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  • $\begingroup$ This is the answer I was looking for. Many others provided great answers, though, so congratulations to all! $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 16, 2015 at 13:39
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The answers are

PROCESSION, PRECESSION, PRECISION

Come ponder with me, as we go forth,
How we behave in a manner of worth.

We "go forth" in a procession, perhaps a carnival or festival of "worth".

With a single change, that worth is no more.
Instead we consider the ones before.

Change a single letter to get precession, meaning preceding or "going before".

After one more change, seen with different eyes,
We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

Change the word again by introducing a new I ("eye); precision is not to be sniffed at and "trivialised"!

To solve my riddle thoroughly,
You'll need to give me answers three.

Indeed: three similar words.

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  • $\begingroup$ Excellent answer! I had in mind three different words, so I'll wait to see if anyone is able to come up with those. If not, you definitely deserve credit for finding 3 different words that still seem to (generally) fit the riddle! $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 14, 2015 at 13:57
  • $\begingroup$ @GentlePurpleRain Is it close? If he changed the first word to "recession", it would have a better link to worth, with the other two words remaining the same. $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Apr 14, 2015 at 18:45
  • $\begingroup$ @IanMacDonald No, none of the three words given by rand al'thor were what I had in mind. $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 14, 2015 at 18:50
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Probably a little too simplistic, but food for thought if nothing else:

Cost, Lost, and List

How we behave in a manner of worth.

Something's worth is often considered its cost

With a single change, that worth is no more. Instead we consider the ones before.

One letter change (C to L), and we get lost, perhaps referring to those that have died, and therefore came before.

After one more change, seen with different eyes, We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

Probably the weakest of the three, one more letter change (O to I) and we get list, and if we have a list, it often isn't trivial.

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  • $\begingroup$ Again, not the correct answer. But good try! $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 14, 2015 at 20:06
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    $\begingroup$ Sounds good! +1. Edit: just saw the OP's comment. I'd thought this was the intended answer before that! $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Apr 14, 2015 at 20:09
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I think the answers are

Reflect, Deflect, Reelect

Come ponder with me, as we go forth, How we behave in a manner of worth.

That's reflecting!

Instead we consider the ones before.

When you vote the ones before, you reelect them!

We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

Deflection isn't a trivial physical phenomenon.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good attempt, but I think the answers are reaching a little. Not the words I'm thinking of. $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 14, 2015 at 19:20
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Note: this one feels pretty weak.

How we behave in a manner of worth.

Many people are sour about their worth being questioned.

With a single change, that worth is no more.

Change the s to a t.

Instead we consider the ones before.

When you tour a museum, you consider artifacts and events from the past.

After one more change, seen with different eyes,

Change the u to an i and read it backwards.

We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

People riot when they are emphatic about their cause being not trivialised.

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  • $\begingroup$ A worthy attempt, but not what I was thinking of. $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 14, 2015 at 19:57
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Here are three 10-letter adverbs.

How we behave in a manner of worth.

vauntingly: we boast about our worth.

With a single change, that worth is no more. Instead we consider the ones before.

hauntingly: ghosts were people before.

After one more change, seen with different eyes, We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

tauntingly: it isn't easy to trivialise or ignore a taunt.

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  • $\begingroup$ I have come to the conclusion that my riddle did not provide sufficient information for a unique solution, based on the plethora of good answers that are not what I intended. This is good, but not what I was thinking. $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 15, 2015 at 16:11
  • $\begingroup$ No worries. I think that it's pretty neat that there are so many different solutions to what seems to be a very specific set of requirements, though it is technically against the puzzle construction guidelines of this site. $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Apr 15, 2015 at 16:13
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Note: I'm being rather liberal with the requirements here, and maybe thinking too far outside the box.

How we behave in a manner of worth.

$1m is short-hand for "one million dollars", which is worth a lot.

With a single change, that worth is no more.

Remove the m and we have $1, where the worth is no more.

Instead we consider the ones before.

We consider the 1 as it is the only digit left.

After one more change, seen with different eyes,

Adding an i is a change and shown with different "eyes" (as a homonym).

We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

$1i is a complex number and therefore cannot be trivialised.

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  • $\begingroup$ Yes, you're thinking too far outside the box. Good effort, though! $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 15, 2015 at 15:22
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Not confident of this, but here is my answer:

The base word is form -- formation, former, reform (or transform)

How we behave in a manner of worth.

This is probably connected to the word hierarchy or ranking, so I choose the word formation

With a single change, that worth is no more. Instead we consider the ones before.

former I think these lines mean a word pertaining to past

After one more change, seen with different eyes, We behave in a way we won't trivialize.

these lines are about change, transform or reform is synonymous to change.

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  • $\begingroup$ Another good try, but not the desired answer. $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Apr 15, 2015 at 15:22

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