Puzzle poem is a poetic composition deliberately constructed as a puzzle requiring readers to solve, decode, or interpret specific elements to fully understand the work. The puzzle may involve various challenges: acrostics revealing hidden messages, riddles requiring solutions, formal constraints creating patterns to discover, encoded meanings demanding decryption, or structural mysteries rewarding analysis. Unlike poetry that simply admits multiple interpretations, puzzle poems intentionally create specific problems with intended solutions, though the solutions may not be unique. This form engages readers actively in constructive interpretation, transforming reading from passive reception to active problem-solving and demonstrating poetry's capacity for intellectual gameplay.

A Puzzle poem embeds riddles, wordplay, or encoded structures that require active solving—engages readers through intellectual challenge and often uses constrained forms.