What are some tips on writing a good acrostic poem?

An acrostic poem is easy to write! It can be about any subject, but it cannot rhyme, (no matter what people tell you).

How to Write An Acrostic Poem:

Write the letters of your Word or phrase down the left-hand side of your page, with one letter on each line. You can skip a line between letters if you want to leave room to write more than one Word.

Now, think of Words which begin with each letter - don't try to make a poem yet, just write down all the Words you can think of which will describe or explain your topic.

Use a thesaurus if you have trouble thinking of Words! Look up your topic Word(s) and any other Words you think of in the thesaurus - it will give you other Words which mean the same and also the opposite of your term! If you need more room, continue the list on another page!

Once you have a list, start thinking of how to write your poem. Which Words or phrases are the best ones to describe or explain the topic? Which will make the clearest mental image? Which will make your readers understand your topic the best?

Nobody else can tell you what to write - poetry is your own emotion put onto the page! Click on the Related Questions for more help.

For Example:

SKY

So nice and blue

Keep on looking at it

You will love it

Writing an Acrostic Using Someone's Name

To write a poem about a specific person, you first need to think of all the qualities about that person that you would like to include in the poem.
Don't give general descriptive Words like "terrific" or "pretty" - instead, show that you have really paid attention to the person and write Words that describe their unique personality!
A hint: if you are writing a poem about a girl, don't talk about her appearance as much as her inner beauty!
Write the person's name down the side of your paper one letter at a time. Then write qualities for that person that begin with each letter. Remember, you can write either one Word, several Words, or even a phrase or sentence on each line.

Lizzy

Lovely, Lithe, or Likeable (whichever is appropriate)
Interesting or Inspiring
Zestful
Zealous
Young or Youthful

Help! I Can't Think of Any Words Starting With Those Letters!

What if I have a bunch of Z's or Q's? What if I can't think of any good Words to describe my subject?

Here is where you use a handy tool that all writers know about: a thesaurus! A thesaurus gives you synonyms and antonyms for Words, and will give you ideas on what Words to use for each letter that you need for your acrostic poem.

What If My Poem Is About a Thing or Event Instead?

You use the same technique no matter what subject your poem is about. Write the first letters down the page.

Make a list of all the facts that you know about the thing or event - look them up if this is a homework assignment! Use your textbook or a search engine like www.google.com!

Here's an example using "Romeo and Juliet" as the subject - An acrostic poem is one where you write the letters of whatever Word or Words you want to use in order down the left-hand side of your paper. Then, use each letter to begin a Word or phrase that describes the topic of the poem. If you want to write an acrostic poem about Romeo and Juliet, you would write those three Words down the page, one letter per line, with the R at the top and the T at the bottom. Then, think of Words and phrases that describe Romeo and Juliet - these can be lines from the play (such as "star-crossed lovers," "wherefore art thou, Romeo," "a rose by any other name") or descriptions that you think of yourself (such as "poison," "teenagers," balcony scene," or "tragedy"). Plug the descriptions into the lines, and you have your poem!

Clan feuds
And
Pride
Undo
Lovers.
Exit
Teenagers