Acrostic Poems: Playing with words
By: Anna Hallett, Director, The Writing Party
My poem, “Look at Me,” expresses how writing, social media, and life make me feel at times. Acrostic poems are an effective way to play with words in order to express yourself. It has both structure and freedom. It defines itself like a sign post and challenges us to find our way.
In Acrostic poems, the first, last, or other letter in a line spell out a word, name, phrase, or alphabet. Acrostics were used in ancient Biblical text and Psalms, by Greek and Latin poets, Medieval monks, and poets from the Middle High German and Italian Renaissance periods.* While you may recall Acrostics from childhood writing lessons, the technique has been utilized by such masters as Geoffrey Chaucer, Edgar Allan Poe, Lewis Carroll, William Blake, and John Keats.
An Acrostic is a way to play with words as you express yourself. They can be playful or funny. They can hide or reveal a secret. They can flatter or insult. The word you choose to embed in your poem might reveal a name or a word that reveals the true meaning of the poem. You may choose to disguise your word, burying it in the middle of each line, or deliberately reveal your word to scream your intention.
When you write your Acrostic, consider your topic, the mood you wish to invoke, and the pattern. Play with the structure. Do you want the reader to see your word right away or do you want it to be a puzzle? If you want to challenge yourself, try a double Acrostic with a word using letters from the start of each line and another word with the last letter of each line. The form of Acrostics is fluid, so feel free to choose a style that works for you: meter, free verse, or rhyme.
Perhaps it’s time to add Acrostic poetry to your repertoire. We would love to read your latest creation. Please share your work in the comments for everyone to enjoy.
For more writing ideas, order The Writing Party Inspirations or contact us to schedule a Writing Party event in your area, for your private group, or as a corporate team building event.
To see other writing inspiration ideas like Acrostic Poems, check out The Writing Party Articles Page.
* The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Acrostic.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 1998, Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc. https://www.britannica.com/art/acrostic. Accessed 18 Aug. 2020.