Mar 18, 2012

Acrostic

Acrostics are poems that spell something, using each letter to begin a different line. It can be with your own name, or with something that interests you. Personally, I love it when they contain rhymes, and that is the challenge I seek to do today. I think I'll start with my own name to get the juices flowing, and then I'll try my hand at a rhyming one. Word of warning: I have come across several misspelled acrostics, so I recommend writing your word vertically before you begin.

Kennel attendant was my first job
I washed, dried and fed and looked after each dog
Medicated cats, held birds, sprayed each room
Before pulling out the mop and the broom
Earning each paycheck with hard work and sweat
Really hard work watching over each pet
Learning so well that a vet's job's not for me
Yes, I went to college for a different degree!

Okay, so I can't help but rhyme. I'm a rhyming freak, I'll admit it. Most of my picture books are actually rhyme. Sometimes it feels so satisfying, and somehow complete if I can get my ideas to flow so rhythmically. I'll admit that it's a little infuriating that a lot of publishers find rhymes distasteful, but I think I'm going to keep on with them, just to satisfy myself. And if I ever seek to publish, then I'll write what they want. But just to let you know: when I die, people are gonna read my stuff, and they're going to wish they'd published me!

2 comments:

  1. I don't blame you for loving rhymes. I love rhymes also. The difference is I'm only good at reading them. I'm not very good at writing them. And when I go around the house speaking in rhyme or making up words to a rhyming song, as I sometimes do, my rhymes don't carry any reason to them. Ask Jenn, she'll tell you it's true.
    Yours, on the other hand, are really good.

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    1. Haha! I love that you're good at reading rhymes! :) (Was that rhyme in your comment on purpose? Well played!) I'm pretty good at reading them too, unless someone gets smart and throws me off with a dumb word like hors d'oeuvres. Then I get frustrated and wonder what the heck they were trying to rhyme...until I actually read the word right! Thanks for the complement, though!

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