What is an Acrostic Poem and How to Write One?

Poetry is the building block of the world of literature. In our country, India, the tradition of prolonged prose do not date back to ancient times. Before the introduction of the long prose writing in India, Poetry constituted the literature world. Even the ancient sacred scriptures of not only India but of the most other countries of the world are present in poetic form.
This was just a periphery of the brief history of Poetry.
Poems of contemporary literature are categorised in various categories depending upon their theme, nature, geographical origin of their style, rhyming scheme and many other factors. Some of the categories of English poems are Acrostic, Ballad, Ballade, Blank Verse, Free Verse, Limerick, Lyric et cetera.

Image from: pexels

Let's discuss about one of the types of poetry in English literature i.e. Acrostics.
The question is what is an Acrostic Poem?
Acrostic poem is quite different from other styles of poems. Acrostics have a different repute and way of writing that the other types of poems.
In Acrostic poems, first letter of each line is selected in such a way that if they are read vertically downwards, they form some hidden word. For example, read this four-liner of mine:

Asif

Acrostic writing for fun I began,

Startled was I to see my rhyme.

I then, read my poem once again,

For myself in words I’d written this time.

 ©Asif Uzzaman 

• Acrostic poems are of three types:

1. First letter Acrostic - Here first letter of each verse is counted. This is the most common form of Acrostic poems.
2. Last letter Acrostic - Here last letter of each verse is counted.
3. Middle letter Acrostic - In this, any letter between the verses can be counted. This is the easiest form of Acrostics to execute. 

Liked the style? Take a pen and give yourself a chance to write your own Acrostic poem. It's simple and interesting.

How to Write an Acrostic Poem?

• Choose a word of your choice.
• Write the first verse, beginning with the first letter of your word.
• Write the second verse, beginning with the second letter.
• Write the number of verses according to the word you have selected.
• It would be better if you choose small words if you are writing an Acrostic for the first time.
• Work in creating a proper rhyming scheme after you'd created a structure of your poem.
• Take care to make the poem meaningful.
• And your own Acrostic poem is ready.

Have a look at these. Here are some of the Acrostic poems that I've written in haste:

Fear

Fear is nothing but an ugly creature, which

Enters inside your frightened weak heart.

And chills your whole terrified body,

Rise of spooky visions in mind, then starts.

 ©Asif Uzzaman 

Revenge

Rattles a hazardous feeling inside,

Enmity overflows to give a result.

Very often people fall prey to this,

Everyone is suffering due to this in world.

Not a single creature is untouched.

Greatest of great and tiniest of tiny,

Everyone suffers because of revenge highly.

 ©Asif Uzzaman 

Drop a comment below about this article.