What is an Acrostic Poem?
Acrostics are a fun poetic form that anyone can write. They have just a few simple rules, and this lesson will teach you how to create acrostic poems of your own.
To begin with, 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. When children write acrostics, they will often use their own first name, or sometimes the first name of a friend.
Usually, the first letter of each line is capitalized. This makes it easier to see the word spelled out vertically down the page.
Acrostics are easy to write because they 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. Here is a simple example:
Petals (grow on flowers)
Leaves (fall from trees)
Asparagus (grow straight up from the soil)
Nature (is poetic)
Trees (provide shade)
Sunshine (feeds the plants)
Try ICECREAM and see how many flavors you can name with the letters!
Book Suggestions for February– Fabulous Five*
When Green Becomes Tomatoes, by poet Julie Fogliani, takes the reader through the twelve months of the year, emphasizing seasons and holiday highlights using free verse, sounding much like diary entries. Delicate drawings pair well with the text format.
Great Gusts: Winds of the World Did you know that there are so many ways to label how air moves? These unique weather patterns happen in very specific parts the world. Learn about the Canada’s howling Squamish, Japan’s blustery Oroshis, etc. A true learning experience for children and their readers.
Windsongs is a fact-filled depiction of weather that stretches the span of the world. Accompanied by whimsical illustrations, Douglas Florian describes the different ways in which weather sings to us, displays magic and presents challenges.
Eating My Words, by Brian P. Cleary, plays with language as the reader eats his or her way through a humorous feast of belly laughs. The topics are vast and the illustrations playful.
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, by Paul Fleischman, is an opportunity to read in tandem with a family member or a friend about insects!!! Many words are designed to emulate the sound of the bug it describes. A classic.
*The Fabulous Five will be featured each month with some of our favorite book recommendations.
Due to travel plans, holidays and holiday weekends, Peach Pear Plum will take a break this month from Story Hour. Visit us in March for a variety of titles about spring!
