Acrostic
An acrostic is a poem or puzzle in which the first letter of each line, read downward, spells out a hidden word, name or message.
Each line begins with a letter, and read down the page the letters spell something. A simple example:
Slow light on the sill, Under the tea-towel, bread, Nobody up yet.
Read the first letters: S, U, N. The title the poem never says.
Where it appears
- Poetry. The poet hides a name or message down the left edge. The poem has to work on its own terms while carrying the hidden word.
- Puzzles. An acrostic puzzle gives a set of clues whose answers, stacked in order, spell a hidden phrase down their initials. Solving the downward message helps you fill in the answers.
- Mnemonics. Acrostics are a classic memory aid, as in the sentence that turns planets or notes into a phrase.
The Hebrew Psalms include alphabetical acrostics, where each verse starts at the next letter. Lewis Carroll closed Through the Looking-Glass with an acrostic poem spelling Alice Liddell's full name.
Why it matters to a writer or editor
An acrostic adds a constraint, and constraints sharpen writing. The first letter of every line is fixed, so you must find the right words from a short list. It is also a good exercise for children and new writers. The editor's job is to make sure the poem reads as a poem and not just a vehicle for the word, since an acrostic with clumsy lines to hit the letters has missed the point. See also the anagram and the cryptogram for other letter-based puzzles.
Frequently asked questions
What is a double acrostic?
A puzzle in which the first and last letters of the answers each spell a separate word. Solvers use the clues to fill in the answers, then read down both edges.
Who wrote famous acrostics?
Lewis Carroll ended Through the Looking-Glass with an acrostic whose lines spell the full name of Alice Pleasance Liddell. Edgar Allan Poe wrote name acrostics too.
What is a telestich?
A form in which the last letters of each line spell the message, instead of the first.