Tips for Writing Acrostic Poetry

Acrostic poetry is a fun and simple type of poetry which will allow you to experiment with different writing techniques and formatting as well as practicing honing in on one particular subject and then expanding upon it.
 

  1. Basics: Before you begin writing an acrostic poem, you need to understand the basics of this type of poem. In an acrostic poem, the first letter of each line creates a word when read vertically. Therefore, the acrostic poem is a way for you to write about a big idea in only a few words, and in a way that is very fun to write and interesting to read, since you will focus not only on what the words mean, but how they are placed.
  2. Vertical: Since the whole purpose of acrostic poems is to make a word or short sentence out of the first letter of each line, it is best to write your subject down vertically, so that when you begin writing your poem, it is easy to remember which letters of the subject need to be used, and figure out how to make the whole poem flow so that it is coherent.
  3. Capitalization: In acrostic poems, the first letter of each line is usually capitalized, because it is easier for the reader to keep track of the subject of the poem this way, and it also adds to the presentation of the poem. Presentation of poetry is important, because the format of a poem can contribute to its overall meaning.
  4. Subject: The subjects that acrostic poems can be about are as limitless as any other piece of writing. The difference is that the subject should be able to be summed up in one main word or a short phrase that you write vertically, and you explain the story behind this subject in the lines within the poem. Often, poets choose their name or the name of someone they know when writing an acrostic poem, because each letter of that person’s name can easily be used to find a word to describe a trait about that individual.
  5. Power Poetry: Remember that there is no incorrect way to write a poem, so have fun while writing your acrostic poem and then post it to Power Poetry.org to share with others.


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