akrostik

An akrostik, commonly called an acrostic in English, is a form of writing in which the initial letters of a sequence—typically the lines of a poem or a set of sentences—spell out a word, name, or message when read from top to bottom. The term derives from Greek: akros meaning "top" or "beginning" and stichos meaning "line" or "verse." The spelling akrostik appears in several languages as a variant of acrostic.

Most frequently it appears as acrostic poetry, where the first letters of successive lines form a subject, person, or theme. Other variants include mesostich, where letters form a message in the middle of lines; and telestich, where the last letters spell the hidden text. In puzzles, acrostics can be solved by filling answers to clues; the initial letters then reveal the final message.

Historically, acrostics appear in a variety of cultures. Hebrew poetry and biblical psalms include alphabetical acrostics that order lines by letters of the alphabet. Acrostic devices have also appeared in medieval and classical poetry, inscriptions, and later in modern literature and games as an ornamental or mnemonic feature.

To create an akrostik, a writer selects a target word or name and crafts each line to begin with the corresponding letter, aiming for coherence and natural phrasing. The result can be decorative, commemorative, or puzzling, depending on whether the reader is meant to notice the hidden message or simply enjoy the form.