The document discusses a poem by Leo Marks that was read at the Clinton-Mezvinsky wedding. It provides context about the poem and poet Leo Marks, and explains how the poem can be used for cryptographic purposes by selecting words from the poem and using the letter positions to encrypt a message. It then walks through the steps to encrypt a sample message using this technique.

1. POEM CODES

2. “A poem by Leo Marks was read at the Clinton-
Mezvinsky wedding. I don’t think anyone will be
using that poem for cryptographic purposes ever
again. But don’t blame it on Chelsea. In fact, she
deserves a little credit for reintroducing a
fascinating figure to the public.”
Richard Hyfler, Forbes

3. The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.

4. Step 1: Pick five words from the poem.

5. Step 1: Pick five words from the poem.
LIFE YOURS SLEEP DEATH GRASS

6. Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by
labeling the first A with 1, the second A with 2,
and so on. Do the same with the Bs, picking up
the numbering where you left off with the As.
Keep going through the alphabet.

7. Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by
labeling the first A with 1, the second A with 2,
and so on. Do the same with the Bs, picking up
the numbering where you left off with the As.
Keep going through the alphabet.
L I F E Y O U R S S L E
E P D E A T H G R A S S

8. Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by
labeling the first A with 1, the second A with 2,
and so on. Do the same with the Bs, picking up
the numbering where you left off with the As.
Keep going through the alphabet.
L I F E Y O U R S S L E
E P D E A T H G R A S S
1 2

9. Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by
labeling the first A with 1, the second A with 2,
and so on. Do the same with the Bs, picking up
the numbering where you left off with the As.
Keep going through the alphabet.
L I F E Y O U R S S L E
E P D E A T H G R A S S
3 1 2

10. Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by
labeling the first A with 1, the second A with 2,
and so on. Do the same with the Bs, picking up
the numbering where you left off with the As.
Keep going through the alphabet.
L I F E Y O U R S S L E
4 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 3 1 2

11. Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by
labeling the first A with 1, the second A with 2,
and so on. Do the same with the Bs, picking up
the numbering where you left off with the As.
Keep going through the alphabet.
L I F E Y O U R S S L E
4 4 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 3 1 2

12. Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by
labeling the first A with 1, the second A with 2,
and so on. Do the same with the Bs, picking up
the numbering where you left off with the As.
Keep going through the alphabet.
L I F E Y O U R S S L E
12 11 8 4 24 14 23 16 18 19 13 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 15 3 7 1 22 10 9 17 2 20 21

13. Step 3: What was your last number? Write your
plaintext out in a grid that has that many
columns. Fill in the final row with gibberish.

14. Step 3: What was your last number? Write your
plaintext out in a grid that has that many
columns. Fill in the final row with gibberish.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
d e c i p h e r i n g i s i n m y o p i n i o n
o n e o f t h e m o s t f a s c i n a t i n g o
f a r t s a n d i f e a r i h a v e w a s t e d
u p o n i t m o r e t i m e t h a n i t d e s e
r v e s c h a r l e s b a b b a g e q x w y z a
“Deciphering is, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating of arts, and I fear I have
wasted upon it more time than it deserves.” (Charles Babbage)

15. Step 4: Read down the columns, taking the
columns in the order specified by the numbers
from Step 2.

16. L I F E Y O U R S S L E
12 11 8 4 24 14 23 16 18 19 13 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 15 3 7 1 22 10 9 17 2 20 21
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
d e c i p h e r i n g i s i n m y o p i n i o n
o n e o f t h e m o s t f a s c i n a t i n g o
f a r t s a n d i f e a r i h a v e w a s t e d
u p o n i t m o r e t i m e t h a n i t d e s e
r v e s c h a r l e s b a b b a g e q x w y z a
ITAIB

17. L I F E Y O U R S S L E
12 11 8 4 24 14 23 16 18 19 13 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 15 3 7 1 22 10 9 17 2 20 21
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
d e c i p h e r i n g i s i n m y o p i n i o n
o n e o f t h e m o s t f a s c i n a t i n g o
f a r t s a n d i f e a r i h a v e w a s t e d
u p o n i t m o r e t i m e t h a n i t d e s e
r v e s c h a r l e s b a b b a g e q x w y z a
ITAIB GSETS

18. L I F E Y O U R S S L E
12 11 8 4 24 14 23 16 18 19 13 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 15 3 7 1 22 10 9 17 2 20 21
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
d e c i p h e r i n g i s i n m y o p i n i o n
o n e o f t h e m o s t f a s c i n a t i n g o
f a r t s a n d i f e a r i h a v e w a s t e d
u p o n i t m o r e t i m e t h a n i t d e s e
r v e s c h a r l e s b a b b a g e q x w y z a
ITAIB GSETS REDOR

19. L I F E Y O U R S S L E
12 11 8 4 24 14 23 16 18 19 13 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 15 3 7 1 22 10 9 17 2 20 21
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
d e c i p h e r i n g i s i n m y o p i n i o n
o n e o f t h e m o s t f a s c i n a t i n g o
f a r t s a n d i f e a r i h a v e w a s t e d
u p o n i t m o r e t i m e t h a n i t d e s e
r v e s c h a r l e s b a b b a g e q x w y z a
ITAIB GSETS REDOR IOTNS

20. L I F E Y O U R S S L E
12 11 8 4 24 14 23 16 18 19 13 5
E P D E A T H G R A S S
6 15 3 7 1 22 10 9 17 2 20 21
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
d e c i p h e r i n g i s i n m y o p i n i o n
o n e o f t h e m o s t f a s c i n a t i n g o
f a r t s a n d i f e a r i h a v e w a s t e d
u p o n i t m o r e t i m e t h a n i t d e s e
r v e s c h a r l e s b a b b a g e q x w y z a
ITAIB GSETS REDOR IOTNS NODEA IAIEB OGESZ
MCAHA ONENE PAWIQ SFRMA PFSIC HTATH
NSHTB CEROE EHNMA DOFUR INTEY NOFEE
IMIRL YIVAG ENAPV ITATX NISDW

21. Step 5: Prepend the message with a coded
version of the words from the poem you picked
in Step 1.

22. Step 5: Prepend the message with a coded
version of the words from the poem you picked
in Step 1.
LIFE → 2nd word → B
YOURS → 18th word → R
SLEEP → 37th word → 37-26=11 → K
DEATH → 47th word → 47-26=21 → U
GRASS → 63rd word → 63-52=11 → K

23. Step 5: Prepend the message with a coded
version of the words from the poem you picked
in Step 1.
BRKUK ITAIB GSETS REDOR IOTNS NODEA
IAIEB OGESZ MCAHA ONENE PAWIQ SFRMA
PFSIC HTATH NSHTB CEROE EHNMA DOFUR
INTEY NOFEE IMIRL YIVAG ENAPV ITATX
NISDW

24. Poem Codes
Step 1: Pick five words from the poem.
Step 2: Number the letters in your five words by labeling
the first A with 1, the second A with 2, and so on. Do the
same with the Bs, picking up the numbering where you
left off with the As. Keep going through the alphabet.
Step 3: What was your last number? Write your plaintext
out in a grid that has that many columns. Fill in the final
row with gibberish.
Step 4: Read down the columns, taking the columns in
the order specified by the numbers from Step 2.
Step 5: Prepend the message with a coded version of the
words from the poem you picked in Step 1.

25. Leo Marks
(1920-2001)

26. Violette Szabo
(1921-1945)

27. Carve Her Name with Pride
(1958)

28. “In December 1943 I wrote a poem which I gave to
Violette Szabo to use as a code. This book is
dedicated to all those who shared it with her.”
--Leo Marks, Between Silk and Cyanide (1998)