What are Acrostics?

by Fran Black

An acrostic is a poem in which the first or last letters of each line vertically form a word, phrase, or sentence. An acrostic that involves the sequential letters of the alphabet is said to be an abecedarius or an abecedarian poem. The term acrostic is also applied to the formation of words from the initial letters of other words. An acrostic is a graphic way of representing information about a single idea. There are many variations on the acrostic, some of which have their own names and will be discussed below.

A popular acrostic keepsake is based on the letters of a new child's name. This is simply an acrostic poem where the letters of the child's first and last names form the beginning of each line. The neat thing about acrostic poems, is that you don't have to be concerned with sentence writing or rhyming.

Double acrostic, a species of enigma, in which words are to be guessed whose initial and final letters form other words. Double acrostic most probably developed from the acrostic and is the forefather of the modern day crossword puzzles. Probably invented in the 1850's, the double acrostic was a fad in the latter part of the 19th century. The illogical extension of the acrostic form is perhaps the crossword puzzle, the purest form perhaps the word square. Today the crossword puzzle has displaced the acrostic (and many other word games). A word square acrostic is where words or phrases read the same vertically as horizontally, rather like a crossword puzzle.

A very complicated acrostic would have the last letter of each line forming a separate word as you read downward, also. Or, the acrostic may be used as a form of steganography, seeking to conceal the message rather than to proclaim it.

An acrostic poem can describe the subject or even tell a brief story about it. The acrostic is a poem where the first letter of each line form a word when you read them looking downward.

Lewis Carrol, who is called the master of acrostics, was probably one of the best known authors to devise these ingenious word games. Each quotation, the basis of the Acrostic, was selected to delight, either for the wit, the wisdom, or the poetic expression.

About the Author:

Francesca Black works in marketing at the Puzzle Place http://www.puzzle-place.net and Chess Strategies http://www.chess-strategies.net leading puzzle and strategy portals.