acrostic
  from Gk. akros, "at the point" and stichos, "row"
acrostichion, parastichis

When the first letters of successive lines are arranged either in alphabetical order (= abecedarian) or in such a way as to spell a word
 
Examples
  Your answer must not come by prying force
Except that gentle urging of your mind.
So take your time, and tell me when you will.
Related Figures
 

  • abecedarian
  • alliteration
    Like acrostic, alliteration also focuses on the first letters of successive words.
  • anaphora
    In both anaphora and acrostic focus is placed on the initial portion of each line.
See Also
 
 
  Sources: Bullinger 180-188


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Gideon O. Burton, Brigham Young University
Please cite "Silva Rhetoricae" (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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