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Central acrostic

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A poem where letters aligned down the center of each line form a hidden word or phrase

Detailed Definition
Central acrostic is a poetic form where the initial, middle, or pivotal letters of each line—rather than just the first—spell out a hidden word or phrase vertically down the center of the poem; this structural constraint adds a layer of coded meaning, inviting readers to engage with both surface content and concealed textual architecture.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem where the central letters spell “PEACE”: “aPProach / trEaties / grEen fields / silEnt guns / truCkloads”; “bE / lOve / vEry / mUch / sO” — center-aligned to reveal “LOVE”; A nine-line poem with hidden word “TRUTH” down the middle column of letters; “sHine / lIke / fIre / bUt / gEntly” — central acrostic spelling “HIFUG” (intentional or experimental)
Additional Notes
Central acrostic places a hidden word or message vertically down the central letters of each line (not the first); a rarer variant of traditional acrostics that challenges form and reader engagement.
Also Known As
central spine acrostic axial word poem core-letter verse midline acrostic Mesostic middle acrostic
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