A telestich is a poem or stanza in which the final letters of each line, when read vertically downward, spell a word, name, or message—functioning as the inverse of an acrostic (which uses initial letters); though rare in canonical literature, telestichs appear in puzzle poetry, devotional verse, or experimental forms where the hidden terminal word adds a layer of coded meaning or playful constraint, requiring readers to attend not only to horizontal sense but also to vertical design, thus merging literary and ludic dimensions in a single compositional act.

Poem where final letters of lines spell word/message vertically. Opposite of acrostic. Difficult constraint requiring backward composition. Start with short messages.