An acrostic is a very special kind of poem. In an acrostic, the first letters of each line spell out a word or phrase that relates to the topic or theme of the poem. They are some of the simplest poems to write, but that doesn’t make them any less meaningful.
The word acrostic comes from ancient Greek akrostichís, meaning roughly “at the end of the line.” In fact, the acrostic is an ancient form of poetry. One of the earliest known examples of the acrostic dates to the fourth century and is attributed to a prophetess known as the Erythraean sibyl. These days, we don’t use acrostics much for divination or reading the future. Instead, they are a fun, lighthearted form of poetry everyone can enjoy!
In this article, you will learn how to write your own acrostic poem. Then, we will look at a couple examples of acrostics for inspiration!
Step One: Choose a subject or theme.
When it comes to writing an acrostic, it is good to have a specific topic or person in mind. Say you are writing a poem for someone’s birthday. Then the topic will be the birthday person! It doesn’t have to be a person, though. You can write an acrostic about anything: your favorite band, a plant you like, or an idea or concept like peace or hope.
To illustrate this point, we have decided to write an acrostic about our housecat, Tayto.
Step Two: Brainstorm words and phrases related to the subject.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the subject of your acrostic? Don’t second-guess yourself; just write it down. Try to come up with at least 10 words or phrases that describe the topic of your poem. These can be adjectives, verbs, nouns, or whatever else! The following questions can help you with your brainstorm:
- How does it make you feel? Happy? Sad?
- What does it look like? What size is it? What color?
- Why is it important to you? To other people?
- If you touch it, how does it feel?
- What does it smell like?
- How does it sound?
- What kind of things does it do?
- Are there other things it reminds you of? What are they?
The 10 words and phrases we brainstormed to describe Tayto are:
- sweet
- soft
- cuddly
- meow
- purr
- playful
- watching birds
- picky eater
- happy
- safe
Step Three: Pick a word to use for the first letter of each line.
Typically, the word that you will use for the basis of the poem will be the name of the subject of the poem. For example, for our poem about Tayto, the first letter of each line will spell out Tayto, like this:
T
A
Y
T
O
We should mention that the most typical way of writing an acrostic is to have the first letter of each line spell out a word, but it’s not the only way to write an acrostic. If you are feeling extra creative or are looking for an additional challenge, you can make the last letter of each line spell out a specific word. It is also possible to even do letters in the middle of the lines, although in that instance it is important to capitalize them or otherwise make sure they stand out.
Step Four: Write the other lines of the poem.
Use the words and phrases you brainstormed in step two to complete the rest of the poem. You will want to make sure each line starts with the correct letter, but otherwise you can write however you like. There is no requirement that the lines rhyme or otherwise follow a specific pattern. You will, however, want to make sure that they describe the subject of the poem!
For example:
Tayto the cat is sweet and soft,
Always watching birds and purring.
Yes, they are a picky eater, but
They are so playful and soft.
Oh, what a pet!
That is just one way of writing an acrostic, but there is an even simpler way to do it. You can use an adjective or noun that starts with the first letter of each line and write a short poem that way, as in this acrostic about the forest:
Fascinating
Overgrown
Rugged
Environment
Serene
Trees
If you want help finding positive words that start with each letter, we have you covered! Check out our article Positive Words That Start With Each Letter. (Or, if you want to go in a bit of a different direction, you can check out our Negative Words That Start With Each Letter article.)
It isn’t just amateurs who write acrostic poems, by the way. The professionals have given them a try as well. One of the most famous examples is by Edgar Allen Poe. Can you tell whom it was written for?
Elizabeth it is in vain you say
“Love not” — thou sayest it in so sweet a way:
In vain those words from thee or L.E.L.
Zantippe’s talents had enforced so well:
Ah! if that language from thy heart arise,
Breath it less gently forth — and veil thine eyes.
Endymion, recollect, when Luna tried
To cure his love — was cured of all beside —
His follie — pride — and passion — for he died.
That’s right; this acrostic was written by Poe for his cousin Elizabeth.
Another example is “A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky” by Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll. Here is the beginning:
A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July —
Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear…
You might have noticed the first letter of each line spells out… ALICE, just like the main character of Carroll’s famous story.
Now you have everything you need to write your own acrostic poem! If you’re looking for another short, snappy, and whimsical form of poetry that’s great for beginners and experts alike, you might enjoy haiku. Check out our article How To Write a Haiku for more!
