ACCROSTIC

The word acrostic if formed from the Greek word acros (outermost) and stichos (line of poetry).

An acrostic is a poem where the first letters of each line form a word when you read them looking downward.

Create and fill out a grid like this with words/phrases that describe you.

Likes/Dislikes

Personality

Treasures

Dreams & Plans

Physical Characteristics

Family Members

Now go back and underline your favorite details.

Next write the letters of your name down the side of a page. Work your favorite details into poetic lines beginning with those letters.

Hope you're inspired because now it's time for you to create an original acrostic poem.

  1. Select a theme/topic.
  2. Think of images, descriptive words, and figurative language that best describes your topic.
  3. Jot them down in web form or in a list as you think of them.
  4. Turn your ideas into a paragraph or paragraphs.
  5. Go back and break the paragraph into lines. As you do this, revise the lines until they look, feel, and sound right to you. Draft, revise, and edit.
  6. Now, for the real test, read it ALOUD. Does it really paint a clear picture?
  7. Share your poem with someone else. Listen to his or her critique of your poem. A critique is when someone tells you the strengths and weaknesses of your work. DON'T GET MAD, LISTEN to the suggestions. Revise your work. Remember, the BEST writers are REWRITERS!
  8. Give your poem a title.
  9. Type and choose a font that adds to the look of your poem.
  10. Illustrate your poem.
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