Acrostic

Medieval France

. Verbal play in which initial or individual letters, taken in order, form a word or phrase—called an acrostic—appears in French texts from about the middle of the 13th century, and the practice continues throughout the medieval period.

The acrostic is often a device for naming either poet or patron, as in Cleomadés, the Roman de la Poire, the Roman du castelain de Coucy, and Villon’s Testament. Stanzaic prayers and hymns to the Virgin are sometimes built on alphabetical acrostics or on the letters in the name “Maria.” The acrostic device suggests a growing literacy among the audience for vernacular poetry and an interest in the visual qualities of the written text, especially in cases where the acrostic is highlighted through the use of ornamental initials.

Sylvia Huot

[See also: ANAGRAM; GRANDS RHÉTORIQUEURS; VILLON, FRANÇOIS]