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Theories of Acrostic Poems 1. Definition of Terms

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Theories of Acrostic Poems 1. Definition of Terms Theories of Acrostic Poems 1. Definition of Terms: Acrostic The following is the definition of the term used in this research study. Acrostic: According to Webster’s dictionary, an acrostic poem is a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order to form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet. Originally, a short verse composition, constructed so that one or more sets of letters (such as the initial, middle, or final letters of the lines), taken consecutively, form words. In this study, the design of the acrostic poems follows the rules of the acrostic poems. In chapter two, the author is going to discuss more about the definitions of acrostics (see Table 1). Table 1 Brief definitions of acrostic poems Researchers/ Sources Definitions of acrostic poems Holman & Snyder (2006) An acrostic poem is a cryptographic form in which the initial letter of each line spells out a word, often the subject of the poem or the name of the person to whom the poem is dedicated. Fisher (2007) An acrostic is a poem or a puzzle in which the first or last letter of each line spell out a word, phrase, or name. When it's the last letter, it's often referred to as a telestich. A double acrostic has the first and last letters forming new words. Marshall (2007) Acrostics, or acrostic poetry are easy enough to write, and very simple in their format. The message is written vertically downwards on the left hand side of the page, in the simplest form of this poetry. Each letter is capitalized, and the first letter beginning each line, forms the letters making up the hidden word, or message. The words of the poem also refer in a subtle way to the message of the hidden word in a positive or constructive way. Each line may comprise a word, a phrase, or a thought that is continued on, always linking down to the next line. Hummon(1999) The word “acrostic” has a long history of existence. The ancient Greeks wrote acrostics: the word, acrostic, comes from two Greek words meaning pointed, or first, and row. More than 2,500 years ago, Jews wrote songs of praise to God. Some of these songs, called Psalms, are abecedarian acrostics that are based on the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Poetry Glossary A poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a name. Webster’s dictionary An acrostic poem is a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet. Originally, a short verse composition, constructed so that one or more sets of letters (such as the initial, middle, or final letters of the lines), taken consecutively, form words. American Heritage A poem or series of lines in which certain letters, usually the Dictionary first in each line, form a name, motto, or message when read in sequence. Oxford Dictionary Acrostic, a poem in which the initial letters of each line can be read down the page to spell either an alphabet, a name (often that of the author, a patron, or a loved one), or some other concealed message. Variant forms of acrostic may use middle letters or final letters of lines or, in prose acrostics, initial letters of sentences or paragraphs. Encyclopedia of Judaism Composition, usually poetic, in which sets of letters spell out words or names or appear in a special order. Columbia Encyclopedia Acrostic, arrangement of words or lines in which a series of initial, final, or other corresponding letters, when taken together, stand in a set order to form a word, a phrase, the alphabet, or the like. Britannica Concise Originally, a short verse composition, constructed so that one Encyclopedia or more sets of letters (such as the initial, middle, or final letters of the lines), taken consecutively, form words. An acrostic in which the initial letters form the alphabet is called an abecedarius. Ancient Greek and Latin writers, medieval monks, and Renaissance poets are among those who devised acrostics. Today the term is used for a type of word puzzle utilizing the acrostic principle. A popular form is double acrostics, puzzles constructed so that the middle or last, as well as initial, letters of lines may form words. Wikipedia, the free An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the encyclopedia first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. Acrostic. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 22, 2013, from Answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/acrostic Based on the above five scholars, three diverse dictionaries and four different encyclopedias, the definitions listed above more or less can be synthesized as follows: an acrostic is a poem in which the initial letters of each line can be read down the page to spell a word, a phrase, an alphabet, a name or some other concealed message. All acrostics have one thing in common: words are arranged in lines so that special acrostic letters create another related word, name, or thing. According to Hummon (1999), acrostic poems most often spell out a name or word and they also produce some other interesting patterns, simply based on learner’s own creativity. Alike mnemonic instruction, acrostic poems can be viewed as a memory enhancing instruction that involves teaching students to link the new information to the learned information. Wang (2008) further added that acrostic poems are simple in which each the first letter of each line forms a word or phrase. They can describe the subject or even tell a brief story about it. Furthermore, Wang (2008) stated acrostic is one of the simplest poems for students to write because it gives students a concrete format to follow. The nature of acrostics actually follows basic principles of association and meaning of words. That is to say, students are engaged in a numbers of activities that involve making association that employ mnemonic principles (Levin, 1993). For example, linking the letter “f” to the word “fish” or “h” to the word “happy” is so-called association which employs mnemonic principles. A word alone may be a word only, but it is up to the language learner to associate with other words, and expand to a presentation of a sentence or a poem (Hawthorne, 1846). Not only Wang (2008) but also Marshall (2007) agreed acrostic poems were easy for students to write because of the concrete format students could follow. Acrostic poems which can be viewed as a type of pattern poem are very effective teaching tools for teaching basic concepts of vocabulary learning and sentence writing. For example, Hollowell (1999) stated that poems could help students become more sensitive to language and he further suggested English teachers should know how to use poems in their teaching and let the EFL learners not feel worry about understanding poems because not all poems are difficult. In short, it is suggested for EFL English teachers to have the learners explore some poems and write ones. Poems give abundant language exposures that improve students’ language sensitivity and students’ creativity in using their English and will motivate the students to improve their English, especially through its form, vocabulary, pronunciation, contextual meaning and grammar. Moreover, because of its rhythm and word choice, poetry is a good authentic material for teaching some productive skill such as communicative speaking activities, pronunciation, and writing activities. Also, its form makes poems appropriate tools for teaching basic concepts of vocabulary learning and sentence writing. Poems are, after all, authentic texts (Finch, 2003; Hollowell, 1999; Wang, 2008; Bullion, McWhorter, Haag, Cox & Hickey, 1997). Smart (2010) found that some productive skills can be enhanced through poems, such as communicative speaking activities, pronunciation, and writing activities. Moreover, Holmes & Moulton (2001) stated that poems could promote a number of positive learning functions, such as awareness of grammar, awareness of phrase and sentence structures, learning from the interactive modeling, learning from the collaborative group, learning from the cooperative group, exercising inductive thinking, exercising sensory stimuli, learning by sharing their works and learning to use their expression in their works. Finch (2003) suggested that pattern poems can be used with all levels and ages of learners, and are particularly effective in the EFL classroom, since they can be adapted to teaching purposes such as vocabulary learning and sentence writing. Holmes & Moulton (2001) believes that through writing simple pattern poems, learners can: 1) play with words and see what fits because the burden of discovering a proper format for a poem is removed; 2) create a polished piece of writing in a relatively short period; 3) rehearse correct spelling; 4) use familiar vocabulary; 5) discover new vocabulary while using the dictionary or thesaurus to find words that serve their ideas; 6) practice specific language structures, such as phrases, word order, and verb tense; 7) develop confidence in their ability to share ideas in writing; 8) nurture creativity by giving their imaginations free reign; 9) cultivate logical and sequential thinking skills through storytelling, and 10) refine summarizing skills. 2. Acrostic poems used in various subjects and skills Vocabulary application, sentence formation, student’s expressiveness and student’s motivation Wang (2008) aimed at the application of vocabulary acrostics teaching through ‘short poem’ practice on developing elementary school students’ sentence writing skills.
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