About Poetry – An Acrostic Poem

Overview

An Acrostic is a poem or another form of writing in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, message or the alphabet.

From the French 🇫🇷 – acrostiche. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. An example to remember the colours of the rainbow 🌈 this mnemonic is used:

Richard = Red

Of = Orange

York. = Yellow

Gave. = Green

Battle. = Blue

In. = Indigo

Vain. = Violet

ACROSTIC in 5 EASY STEPS

Step 1 – Decide what to write about.

Step 2 – Write your word down the left-hand side of the page, vertically.

Step 3 – Brainstorm words and phrases, that start with the letters you have written down the page that describe your idea.

Step 4 – Place your brainstormed words, phrases or even short sentences on the lines that begin with the same letters. i.e.

Apples wither

Under the tree

T

U

Mist creeps around us.

November follows October.

Step 5 – Fill in the rest of the lines to finish the Acrostic.

Apples wither,

Under the tree,

Tainted by birds.

Undulating winds,

Mist creeps around us,

November follows October.

A lot of people like to use their own or a friend’s name.

See example below.

Carolina speaks Spanish,

Advises friends,

Remembers friends’

birthdays

Offers help where she can.

Loves her cats

Is their sole carer.

Never lies,

Always writing poetry.

Autumn/Carolina

©The Vixen of Verse, 2020.