The position of letters and the manner in which they are displayed give acrostics a puzzle-like quality. Some are written with the intention of a hidden message. That is, you might not know it is an acrostic poem until it sneaks up on you— and there it is! A hidden, unexpected word.The hidden acrostic has been used since the Renaissance.
There are two parts to an Acrostic puzzle:- A list of Words with the identity of each word being indicated by a Clue, just as happens in a standard crossword puzzle. A Key Paragraph which appears in a grid with the spaces between words being represented by means of black cells. How to create your own crossword puzzle. The next step in creating your own crossword is to write all of the words you want it to include, using a maximum of 35 words. Each word should be introduced with a clue next to it. For example, if the word entered is DOG, the clue could be a pet which is considered to be man's best friend.
In modern times, such acrostics have been written as an, and as secret messages. Journalists have had their turn, too, sometimes writing a poetic within an article.Edgar Allan Poe wrote a well-known hidden acrostic poem, A Valentine:For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda,Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling liesUpon the page, enwrapped from every reader.Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasureDivine- a talisman- an amuletThat must be worn at heart.
Search well the measure-The words- the syllables! Do not forgetThe trivialest point, or you may lose your laborAnd yet there is in this no Gordian knotWhich one might not undo without a sabre,If one could merely comprehend the plot.Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peeringEyes scintillating soul, there lie perdusThree eloquent words oft uttered in the hearingOf poets, by poets- as the name is a poet’s, too,Its letters, although naturally lyingLike the knight Pinto- Mendez Ferdinando-Still form a synonym for Truth- Cease trying!You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do.Puzzled? The trickery is compounded by not knowing the placement. Thus, the beauty of a hidden acrostic.
Here’s a hint: Take the first letter from the first line, the second letter from the second line, the third letter from the third line and so on until you reach the end of the poem. You’ll have solved the mystery to Poe’s secret Valentine.Did you solve the puzzle? Poe was rumored to have shared a literary courtship with that eventually led to a series of scandals.
Try It: Hidden Acrostic PoemCreate your own hidden acrostic poem! Perhaps you’d like to make a popular culture reference, or a statement in the political arena, or maybe even a gesture towards the latest. Think of the secret message you’d like to convey, then write a poem around it. Once you’re done, be sure to share it with us in the comment box below. Feel free to give us a hint on how to solve your puzzle!Thanks to everyone who participated in. Here’s a recent acrostic poem from Andrew we enjoyed:Beginning of the day, the skyEach morning beams it brightestAlways with a hope that there may beUlterior to purpose, life to fillThe trees and boughs with birdsIlluminating with their colourFen, village, wood and rockUnder that bright sky, eachLeaving their life in land and loch.—by AndrewPhoto.
Creative Commons via Flickr.uses images like the buzz, the switch, the wave—from the Billy Collins poem “Introduction to Poetry”—to guide writers into new ways of writing poems. Excellent teaching tool. Anthology and prompts included.“ How to Write a Poem is a classroom must-have.”—Callie Feyen, English Teacher, MarylandSave.
ODE TO A TROUBADOURNo wonder the accolades were givenObvious choiceBetter late than post mortemEvery once in a blue moon, the poet gets his dueLoved the timing of the troubadour’s prizeBlues, poetic gravelly blues, good year for the blues,Oh man, the lyrical genius of Blind Boy GruntDon’t expect to hear anything like this again in your lifetimeYep, the guy nailed the harmonica, made it weep and wailLet’s raise a glass to Mr. Zimmerman and his black hatAcademy award winnerNow known for this nobel prize.