An acrostic is a kind of puzzle of letters or words.
Acrostic is a term that comes from a Greek word referring to the completion of a verse . The first meaning of the concept mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) refers to the poem that, with the initial, middle or final letters of its verses, forms an expression or a word .
For example:
I would give everything to see you again,
even what I never had
or that it was mine and I lost it.
That's all I ask: to see you again.
As you can see, if we take the first letter of each verse and join them, the word “God” is formed. This stanza, therefore, is an acrostic.
By extension, any term, expression or text that is formed from this composition method is called an acrostic. “Calm” , in this sense, can be an acrostic derived from “When someone reads, they learn a lot” .
Origins of the acrostic
Regarding the history of this notion, it is believed that the first to compose this type of works were the Provençal poets , and that later the Castilians began to incorporate them into their repertoires. As for the Provençal poets, they are those writers who used the Occitan language - a Romance language from the European continent - to create their works.
By extension, all literary works that use that language are referred to as Provençal or Occitan literature. Its origin dates back to the 11th century and occurred in poetry. The work carried out by the troubadours in disseminating and developing letters promoted the rise of vulgar works in Europe in the Middle Ages .
A popular artifice
In certain moments in the history of literature in which elaborate forms stood out, as was the case of the literary Baroque , the acrostic was one of the most widespread devices.
Leaving aside the discomfort that its not very direct or overloaded nature may generate in reading, it should be noted that many readers find the process of discovering a hidden or secret message within another entertaining.
Writing acrostics is a challenge that demands creativity.
Examples of acrostic
There are various examples of acrostics considered famous for belonging to some of the most important works of world literature. Such is the case of the prologue of "La Celestina" by Fernando de Rojas . It is constructed in verse and with the initials of each of its lines it is possible to put together the phrase "The Bachelor" . Luis Tovar and Antonio de Lofraso are other authors who used the acrostic in their works.
Another example of an acrostic is the following:
Although you can see me
very calm and without passion
waves of emotions flow through my soul,
bouncing in my heart.
In this case, the first letter of each verse gives rise to the composition of the word "love" .
The following is also an acrostic:
Magical
Elegant
Sage
Serene
Incredible:
MESSI
An acrostic, as we will see in depth below, can also be a pastime or word game. For example:
Discover the name of the color by answering the following questions and matching the initial letters of each answer:
- What animal is Mickey Mouse? Mouse.
- What disease does someone who is overweight suffer from? Obesity.
- What was the first name of Lennon, the musician who was part of The Beatles? John.
- What is the acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? NATO.
By joining the initials, the mystery of the acrostic is resolved: RED.
Another acrostic for entertainment:
Find out what the Ninja Turtles' favorite food is. To do this you must answer these questions and pay attention to the first letter of each answer, joining them:
- In which country is Machu Picchu located? Peru.
- What is a territory surrounded by water called? Island.
- What is the colloquial name of the animal scientifically called Vulpus vulpus? Fox.
- How do you call the individual who writes with his left hand? Southpaw.
- What continent is China located on? Asia
The Ninja Turtles' favorite food, therefore, is PIZZA.
Acrostics can appear in both narrative and lyric.
a hobby
Acrostic, on the other hand, is a pastime that invites you to discover, following certain instructions, the words that, placed in a column, allow you to form other words or an expression with their initial letters.
Although it can be said that the acrostic as a game presents certain similarities with the crossword puzzle , it is easy to distinguish them in their purest forms, since while the latter is presented as a grid in which various words written horizontally or vertically converge, the acrostic It is usually made up of a list of words, all in the same sense, aligned in such a way that one of its letters serves to form the word or phrase (which is also called an acrostic). In both cases, the process consists of discovering each word through its definitions.
In any case, it is common for crossword puzzles and acrostics to appear in the same entertainment magazines, along with word searches , riddles and other games. The purpose is for the reader to use their intellect to overcome different challenges and solve puzzles.