Mesostic

A mesostic is a poem or other typography such that a vertical phrase intersects lines of horizontal text. It is similar to an acrostic, but with the vertical phrase intersecting the middle of the line, as opposed to beginning each new line.

The practice of using index words to select pieces from a preexisting text was developed by Jackson Mac Low as "diastics". It was used extensively by the experimental composer John Cage (Walsh 2001).

There are two types of mesostic: fifty percent and one hundred percent. In a fifty-percent mesostic, according to Andrew Culver (John Cage's assistant), "Between any two [capitalized] letters, you can't have the second [letter]." ^[1]

In a one-hundred-percent mesostic, "Between any two [capitalized] letters, you can't have either [letter]." ^[2]

An example of a one-hundred-percent mesostic (although using the ampersand to avoid spelling out 'and' is poor form):

        KITCHEN

  let us maKe
      of thIs
      modesT
        plaCe
    a room Holding
tons of lovE
       (&, Naturally, much good food, too)

Notes

1. ^ Cage 57.
2. ^ Cage 57.

References

• Cage, John. Musicage. Ed. Joan Retallack. Hanover & London: Wesleyan University Press, 1996.

• Walsh, Michael Sunday, Jun. 24, 2001. "Sounds of Silence", Time Magazine.

External links

• Mesostic Generator
• Mesostic at everything2