Acrostic Poems

Acrostic poetry is a simple form of poetry where the first letter of every line can be joined together to spell out a word related to the topic of the poem. It's a particularly fun form of poetry to write and work with, which is why it’s a great one to use to introduce your child to poetry! Let’s look at acrostic poems in more detail.

What are acrostic poems?

Acrostic poetry is a type of poetry in which each new line starts with the letter of a certain word, chosen by the author. For example, if you were to write an acrostic poem using the word “summer”, each new line would start with one letter of the word in order. The first word of the first line would start with a “s”, the first word of the second line would start with a “u”, and so on.

Tips for writing acrostic poems

1. Pick the word you want to use first. This will express its own meaning, separate from what you decide to write within each line. It can be any word you’d like!
2. Brainstorm words that you can start your sentences with. They can be related or unrelated to the main word you chose. Whatever meaning you want to express is completely acceptable because poetry is extremely versatile!
3. Start writing your sentences as you think of words that will start them. You don’t have to write them in order.
4. Be creative! Don’t limit yourself.

Acrostic poem challenges to do at home

Finding inspiration for poetry is one of the trickiest parts of writing poems! Here are some acrostic poem challenges to have your child writer try at home.

1. Use the name of your favorite season (summer, fall, spring, or winter) and write an acrostic poem about why you love that season!
2. Write an acrostic poem about one of your friends or family members and use their name for the poem! Write about what you cherish about them.
3. Go to any room in your house, close your eyes and spin around. Open your eyes and write an acrostic poem about the first object you see! Use the name of the object and describe it in your poem.
4. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be? Use the name of the place you choose to write an acrostic poem about why you chose that place.
5. Pick a word that describes how you’re feeling today. Use that word to write an acrostic poem about what’s happened in your day today!

Activity & Resource

We’ve also prepared an activity for your young author to get started writing their own acrostic poems! Good luck!