Acrostics, by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Writing acrostics can be an easy way to get your students interested in reading and writing poetry

An acrostic is a form of poetry in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, phrase or name.

Lewis Carroll, a master of wordplay, wrote over a dozen acrostics. One of his most famous works appears in the epilogue to Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, published in 1872. Carroll's acrostic verse cleverly spells out "Alice Pleasance Liddell," the full name of the real Alice. The poem begins:

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
L ingering onward dreamily
I n an evening in July
C hildren three that nestle near,
E ager eye and willing ear...

Share the rest of the verse with students and allow them to see and read the entire acrostic.

Getting started
Encourage students to select a person, place or thing to get them started writing an acrostic. They can use their own first and/or last name, the town where they live or a subject to coordinate with any area of the curriculum. Anyone for Dinosaur, Division, Dance or Denver? Finished works can be then printed on large oaktag charts and hung around the room for all to enjoy.

Reference shelf
Silver Seeds by Paul Paolilli and Dan Brewer (Viking, 2001). In poems like DAWN and NIGHT and SHADOW, various glimpses of nature are beautifully depicted through acrostics. There are also TREES, CLOUDS, and STARS: "Silver seeds/Tossed in the air/And painted in the sky/Reaching out of the darkness/Sprouting wonder." Vibrant full-color illustrations adorn this wonderful volume.

Winter: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur (Clarion, 2001). The newest title in this terrific series brings the winter season to life with acrostic poems like KINDLING, QUILT and COLD: "Crystals/Of ice as delicate as/Lace ring the/Duck pond." Each volume is illustrated in hand-colored linoleum cuts, adding to the essence of each season.

Winter is a wonderful season to read and write acrostics – enjoy!

Lee Bennett Hopkins is a celebrated poet and anthologist. His anthology, A Pet for Me: Poems (HarperCollins, 2004) is now available in paperback.