Introduction

I’d like to introduce you to a sweet book.

SUMMER
AN ALPHABET ACROSTIC

It contains twenty-six poems, alphabetically arranged.  Each reveals a playful acrostic when read vertically, and each is accompanied by a wonderful woodcut illustration.


Written by Steven Schnur
Illustrated by Leslie Evans

Here are two pages from SUMMER

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And finally, “Z” – Z-O-D-I-A-C

Zigzag lines

Of stars

Divide the heavens

Into

Autumn’s twinkling

Constellations

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NOW,  WRITE AN ACROSTIC POEM
What is an Acrostic?
An acrostic is a poem in which the first letters of each line spell out a word or phrase. The word or phrase can be a name, a thing, or whatever you like. Your family  might like to work together and use your last name. 

Usually, the first letter of each line is capitalized. This makes it easier to see the word spelled out vertically down the page.

Acrostics don’t need to rhyme, and you don’t need to worry about the rhythm of the lines. Each line can be as long or as short as you want it to be.

Creating an Acrostic in Five Easy Steps

  1. Decide what to write about.

  2. Write your word down vertically.

  3. Brainstorm words or phrases that describe your idea.

  4. Place your brainstormed words or phrases on the lines that begin with the same letters.

  5. Fill in the rest of the lines to create a poem.

EXAMPLE:

An Ice Cream Acrostic:

I
C
E 

C
R
E
A
M

Next, you want to say something about ice cream in each line. A good way to do this is to “brainstorm” lots of ideas. I wrote down a list of all the ice cream flavors I could think of, including chocolate chip, strawberry, rocky road, and others. Then I put them in a list wherever they would fit, like this:

Ice Cream

I
Cookies & Cream
English Toffee

Chocolate Chip
Rocky Road
E
Almond Fudge
M

I didn’t fill in all of the lines. That’s because I couldn’t think of a flavor that started with “I” and I could only think of one flavor that started with “E.” Also, I thought I would do something different with the last line, to make it an ending for the poem, rather than just another flavor.

Finally, I filled in the missing lines, like this:

ICE CREAM

I love every flavor.
Cookies & Cream.
English Toffee.

Chocolate Chip.
Rocky Road.
Even Strawberry and
Almond Fudge.
Mmmmmmmm.

Things to Remember…

  1. Acrostics can be about anything!

  2. Names are a common topic. Try writing one using your best friend’s name and sending it to him or her as a gift.

  3. You can use single words, phrases, or even full sentences in your acrostic poem.

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Putting words
On paper to
Express in part
Thoughts from me
Right to
You

Kathy apRoberts