Continuing on with the poetic forms available to poets, I have to discuss acrostic poetry. Acrostic poetry is very easy and fun. The most basic form spells words out on the left-hand side of the page using the first letter of each line.
I like to write
Acrostic poems
Mostly because
Reading them
Out loud is
Bound to be fun.
If you notice, the first letter of every line makes the simple sentence, “I am Rob.” It’s very simple, and you can make it as difficult as you want–where the fun part begins.
The brave at heart can even try double acrostics–that is, spelling things out using the first and last letter of each line.
MonkeyS
Yell and slaP
Lions tO
Offend micE
Visiting the eleganT
Elephant to heaR
It hide and crY.
In this silly example, I’ve spelled out “My love is poetry.”
The acrostic is easy to do in its simplest form, but ambitious poets could write a whole paragraph or stories using acrostics if they had enough spare time. Or even write a double acrostic sonnet or sestina.
Click here to see other Poetic Forms.
I wrote what I call an acrostic verse, where the first letter of each stanza spells out a word. Does that exist? Here is a copy:
Time Is Only Borrowed
Healing seems a distant notion;
some fabricated concept of
Satan’s laughing
attempt to make us
cry with deeper sorrows.
Eerily, as time trudges by,
the hands of these strangers
take mine into theirs-so warm and gentle-
and for a time, my face is not wet with tears.
Alone no longer, I am among
friends, whose tear-stained
faces are also focusing on
the sun-filled sky, and not
the darkness we find behind our hands.
Learning to let go of childhood
anguish has become our target.
We shall cherish the bonds
between us, each knowing the
deepest and darkest secrets of the others.
Insight will reveal itself to us in time,
for we will understand that time itself is
only borrowed from God and His intent
is for us to share it with one another.
Never giving up the battle, we
shall conquer our fears and
live out our dreams.
Grown-up emotionally, our relationships
will flourish. Then, we will
fully realize that healing
has taken place.
Yes! An alphabet poem. I love to do those too!
In fact, I’m sure I’ll get around to doing an official post on that form. These are the fun things poets can try, especially if you’re trying to break out of a slump or block.
Thanks for sharing!
I usually find myself writing free verse, but there are also many times when I still find great satisfaction in following some rules. That’s why I like this idea. Rhyming doesn’t necessarily do it for me, but acrostics can. Check out this poem I wrote a few months ago:
Quiet worlds ending, rending
Tending your unknowns
Inside other places.
All sense distended
Forever grown hardened
Joining kindred lovers
Zealous, xenophobic, cryptic
Virgin births never mending.
Do you see it?