Acrostic is the Greek name given to a poem the first letters of the lines in which taken together form a complete word or sentence, but most frequently a name. The invention of this kind of composition cannot be traced to any particular individual, but it is believed to have originated on the decline of pure classic literature. The early French poets, from the time of Francis I. to that of Louis XIV., practised it, but it was carried to its greatest perfection by the Elizabethan poets. Sir John Davies has no fewer than twenty-six poems entitled “Hymns to AstrÆa,” every one of which is an acrostic on the words, “Elizabetha Regina.” Traces of something akin are to be found in the poetry of the Jews,—for example, the 119th Psalm,—and also in the Greek “Anthology.” Here it may be noted that in Greek the word Adam is compounded of the initial letters of the four cardinal points: | Arktos | = | north, | | Dusis | = | west, | | AnatolÊ | = | east, | | Mesembria | = | south; | and that the Hebrew word, ADM forms the acrostic of A[dam], D[avid], M[essiah]. It is hardly necessary to give many specimens of this kind of literary composition in these days, since there are so many periodicals continually giving acrostics and relative verses, and a very few instances may suffice. The following old verses were originally written in a copy of Parkhurst’s poems presented by the author to Thomas Buttes, who himself wrote this acrostic on his own name: “The longer lyfe that man on earth enjoyes,
His God so much the more hee dooth offende;
Offending God, no doubt, mannes soule destroyes;
Mannes soule destroyed, his torments have no ende;
And endles torments sinners must endure,
Sith synne Gods wrath agaynst us doth procure.
Beware, therefore, O wretched sinfull Wight,
Use well thy toongue, doo well, think not amysse;
To God praye thou to guyde thee by his spright,
That thou mayest treade the path of perfect blisse.
Embrace thou Christe, by faythe and fervent love,
So shalt thou reyne with hym in heaven above.
Thomas Buttes
havying the first letter of everie lyne
begynnyng with a letter of his name.” | A Song of Rejoysing for the Prosperous Reigne of our most Gratious Soveraigne Lady, Queene Elizabeth. | “G | Geve laude unto the Lorde,
And prayse His holy name | | O | O let us all with one accorde
Now magnifie the same | | D | Due thanks unto Him yeeld
Who evermore hath beene | | S | So strong defence buckler and shielde
To our most Royall Queene. | | A | And as for her this daie
Each where about us rounde | | V | Up to the skie right solemnelie
The bells doe make a sounde | | E | Even so let us rejoice
Before the Lord our King | | T | To him let us now frame our voyce
With chearefull hearts to sing. | | H | Her Majesties intent
By thy good grace and will | | E | Ever O Lorde hath bene most bent
Thy lawe for to fulfil | | Q | Quite Thou that loving minde
With love to her agayne | | U | Unto her as Thou hast beene kinde
O Lord so still remaine. | | E | Extende Thy mightie hand
Against her mortall foes | | E | Expresse and shewe that Thou wilt stand
With her against all those | | N | Nigh unto her abide
Upholde her scepter strong | | E | Eke graunt us with a joyfull guide
She may continue long.
Amen.” | The next is from PlanchÉ’s “Songs and Poems:” To Beatrice. “Beauty to claim, amongst the fairest place,
Enchanting manner, unaffected grace,
Arch without malice, merry but still wise,
Truth ever on her lips as in her eyes;
Reticent not from sullenness or pride,
Intensity of feeling but to hide;
Can any doubt such being there may be?
Each line I pen, points, matchless maid, to thee!” | Mdlle. Rachel was the recipient of the most delicate compliment the acrostic has ever been employed to convey. A diadem was presented to her, so arranged that the initial of the name of each stone was also the initial of one of her principal rÔles, and in their order formed her name— | Ruby, | | Roxana, | | Amethyst, | | Amenaide, | | Cornelian, | | Camille, | | Hematite, | | Hermione, | | Emerald, | | Emilie, | | Lapis lazuli, | | Laodice. | The following is an ingenious combination of acrostic and telestic combined: “Unite and untie are the same—so say you
Not in wedlock, I ween, has the unity been
In the drama of marriage, each wandering gout
To a new face would fly—all except you and I
Each seeking to alter the spell in their scene.” | Edgar A. Poe was the author of a complicated poem of this class, in which the first letter in the lady’s name is the first in the first line; the second, second in the second line; the third, third in the third line, and so on— A Valentine. (Frances Sargent Osgood.) “For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,
Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda,
Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling lies
Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.
Search narrowly the lines!—they hold a treasure
Divine—a talisman—an amulet
That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure—
The words—the syllables! Do not forget
The trivialest point, or you may lose your labour!
And yet there is in this no Gordian knot
Which one might not undo without a sabre,
If one could merely comprehend the plot.
Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering
Eye’s scintillating soul, there lie perdus
Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing
Of poets by poets—as the name is a poet’s, too,
Its letters, although naturally lying
Like the Knight Pinto—Mendez Ferdinando—
Still form a synonym for Truth. Cease trying!
You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do!” |
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