Hello and welcome to the Poets Pub's poetry style challenges. Each month we will be challenging our members to write poetry in a new style. Have you ever written a sonnet, limerick, haiku, or BLITZ poem? Well now is your chance to exercise your p...
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Acrostic poems have a long and interesting history. The earliest examples of this form of poetry can be found in the prophesies of the Erithraean Sibyl; she purportedly predicted the Trojan War and other historical events. Acrostics were also found in the archaeological excavation of Pompeii. They were used to send coded messages. There are even examples of acrostics in the Bible and Shakespeare used them as well.
Acrostic poems can be one of the easier poems to write, they do not require rhymes, stanzas or many of the other common poetic rules. There are three basic types of acrostics. Here are some basic examples of a simple acrostics:
1. Using one word or words as the first letter of each line.
Acrostic By MystresMyna
Artistry on display Creativity run amok Riddles hide unseen Oddly twisted words Standing in plain view Tickling the brain Intricately woven web Candid poesies
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2. Using letters in the middle of the line to spell out a word or words.
ACROSTIC By MystresMyna
creAte Candid poetRy wOven Strategically sTrung wIth Care
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3. The last letter of each line, to spell out a word or words.
acrostic By MystresMyna
stanzA hypnotiC encounteR solO poeticS significanT graffitI enthusiastiC
Well, that is all there is to it. Of course, you can use more than one word or even a statement. It is usually a good idea to put the word or words you are spelling out in bold or italic to help them stand out better. Also, most acrostics say something specific about the word or words that is being used. However, you do not have to do that, the poem can be about anything and doesn't have to be directly related to the words used.
