In this first-ever anthology, more than 80 acrostics show the versatility of a storied poetic form that dates back to ancient times. In standard acrostics, the initial letters of successive lines spell out words when read vertically. Highlights include Lewis Carroll's acrostic about the namesake of his Alice character, Edward Lear's humorous alphabet poem, Edgar Allan Poe's sonnet with a name arranged diagonally, and a forty-stanza poem spelling out the Lord's Prayer. Informative chapter introductions explore acrostic legends, including Sir John Davies, who began the tradition of using the form to praise someone's name with acrostics about Queen Elizabeth I, and George Moses Horton, an African American slave who peddled produce and poems before he learned to write.

"It's a poetic party on paper for Word Nerds like me, and a must-read for devotees of the form." --Brian P. Cleary, author of Bow-Tie Pasta: Acrostic Poems

This outstanding anthology, the first of its kind, presents more than 80 acrostics--a storied poetic form that dates back to ancient times. In standard acrostics, the initial letters of successive lines spell out words when read vertically.
This unique compilation features Lewis Carroll's verse about the namesake of his Alice character, Edgar Allan Poe's sonnet with a name arranged diagonally, Edward Lear's humorous alphabet poem, and a forty-stanza poem spelling out the Lord's Prayer. Informative chapter introductions explore acrostic legends, including Sir John Davies, who began the tradition of using the form to praise someone's name with acrostics about Queen Elizabeth I, and George Moses Horton, an African American slave who peddled produce and poems before he learned to write.