What's the difference between acrostic and telestich?
Acrostic
Definition:
(n.) A composition, usually in verse, in which the first or the last letters of the lines, or certain other letters, taken in order, form a name, word, phrase, or motto.
(n.) A Hebrew poem in which the lines or stanzas begin with the letters of the alphabet in regular order (as Psalm cxix.). See Abecedarian.
(n.) Alt. of Acrostical
Example Sentences:
(1) Mr Elton's flourishing of "Augusta" is made the more repellent by Mrs Elton's mock-coy revelation that he wrote an acrostic on her name while courting her in Bath.
(2) With these factors in mind, health educators may set them out as an acrostic, based on the 1st letters of a slogan which could be taught to attendants: A Child Needs Personal Love With Which To Enjoy Protein.
(3) Top Gear's James May was once sacked by Autocar for working an acrostic (a message spelled out in the initial letters of each line) into a special supplement, which explained how editing the pull-out was a "real pain in the arse".
(4) Campaign strategies this time around have included an acrostic poem attacking a local Fairfax Regional paper, the Mandurah Mail, for being “Malicious Asshole Nutcases Dickheads” (it goes on, but we won’t).
Telestich
Definition:
(n.) A poem in which the final letters of the lines, taken consequently, make a name. Cf. Acrostic.