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Mesostich

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 constrained poetic form where a vertical word or message is formed by letters aligned down the center of each line, requiring precise composition.

Detailed Definition
A Mesostich is a constrained poem where a vertical message is formed by letters or words taken from the middle of each line (unlike acrostics, which use line beginnings); this technique creates hidden textual layers, inviting close reading to uncover embedded names, themes, or subversive commentary within the surface text.
Example
Example in poetry:
A mesostich spells a word mid-line: “S – un – rise / H – eart – beat / E – cho – es”; Unlike acrostics, mesostichs embed the spine internally; Medieval Latin poems used mesostichs for devotional names; Contemporary mesostichs in digital poetry scroll to reveal spine; Mesostich form challenges linear reading habits
Additional Notes
Alternative term for mesostic. Related: acrostic, vertical poetry. Message appears in middle column of text. Tip: Associated with John Cage's chance-operation poetry using source texts.
Also Known As
middle acrostic central letter poem Acrostic
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