Acrostic Words by Thangavelu Chinnasamy

A fascinating compendium that marries poetics with pedagogy, Acrostic Words by Thangavelu Chinnasamy is an erudite, interdisciplinary study of language. An acrostic poem is one where the first letter of each line spells out something vertically – organized thematically, Chinnasamy’s work catalogs abundant acrostic formations, interweaving etymological asides and cultural references. The book is weighted more towards classification than literary analysis, but the result is eye-opening, whether or not you’re familiar with this niche genre. Though the writing and typography are ocassionally uneven, the project’s earnest eclecticism and organized taxonomy make it useful and compelling for teachers, language enthusiasts, curious students, and beginners exploring acrostic techniques within multilingual contexts.