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Code 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 encodes meaning through ciphers, symbols, or hidden structures, requiring decoding to access its full interpretive layer.

Detailed Definition
A Code poem embeds hidden messages, ciphers, or symbolic systems within its structure—through acrostics, numerical patterns, or constrained language—requiring decryption to access its full meaning; this form merges literary artistry with puzzle-like engagement, often used for political subversion, personal encryption, or conceptual play.
Example
Example in poetry:
Allison Parrish’s “Articulations” uses Python scripts to generate poems from dictionary definitions, blending code syntax with lyrical output; Mez Breeze’s “Virose” merges JavaScript with poetic fragments, where code comments become stanzas; Nick Montfort’s “Taroko Gorge” is a generative poem written in Python that endlessly recombines nature descriptions; Stephanie Strickland’s “True North” integrates HTML and algorithmic structures to explore Emily Dickinson’s life through coded verse; Leonardo Flores’ “The Ballad of Sand and Harry Soot” uses Perl poetry to narrate a digital love story.
Additional Notes
Code poem|A poem where the text itself functions as or contains an encoded message, requiring the reader to apply a cipher, key, or hidden rule to reveal a secondary meaning.
Also Known As
cipher poem cryptic verse coded lyric
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