Mesostic
Encyclopedia
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]."
In a one-hundred-percent mesostic, "Between any two [capitalized] letters, you can't have either [letter]."
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)
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
such that a vertical phrase intersects lines of horizontal text. It is similar to an acrostic
Acrostic
An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. A famous...
, 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
Jackson Mac Low
Jackson Mac Low was an American poet, performance artist, composer and playwright, known to most readers of poetry as a practioneer of systematic chance operations and other non-intentional compositional methods in his work, which Mac Low first experienced in the musical work of John Cage, Earle...
as "diastics". It was used extensively by the experimental composer John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
(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]."
In a one-hundred-percent mesostic, "Between any two [capitalized] letters, you can't have either [letter]."
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)