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Cipher poem

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A poem that conceals a secondary message through encoded techniques such as acrostics, ciphers, or letter-number substitutions.

Detailed Definition
A cipher poem encodes its message through substitution, omission, or symbolic systems, requiring decryption to access meaning; it merges poetic expression with cryptographic technique, often exploring themes of secrecy, identity, or the limits of linguistic transparency.
Example
Example in poetry:
John Wilkins’ 17th-century cipher poems encode messages via acrostics; modern example: Christian Bök’s “Eunoia” uses constrained lipograms as cipher; cipher poems hide meaning via code, anagrams, or symbols; contemporary poet Harryette Mullen uses homophonic translation as cipher; this form challenges reader to decode; it often explores language’s opacity.
Additional Notes
Verse using codes, hidden messages, or cryptographic patterns. May employ acrostics, number systems, or symbolic substitution. Related to: acrostic, pattern poetry. Popular in puzzle poetry.
Also Known As
Code poem encrypted verse secret message poetry cryptographic verse Cryptogram poem
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