Long before modern crossword puzzles appeared in 1913, Victorians enjoyed word games to pass the time. One of the most popular forms was the acrostic—a puzzle where the first letter of each line spells out a word, name, or hidden message when read vertically down the page.
A classic acrostic poem looks like this:
Stars up in the sky
They sparkle with love
All so glorious
Radiant above
Reading the first letters top-to-bottom reveals the secret word: STAR.
In The Pansy magazine, Isabella Alden encouraged her young readers to build acrostics, but with a spiritual twist — she asked them to spell out their names using lines from their favorite Bible verses.
Children responded with enthusiasm, sending in hundreds of scripture acrostics over the years, many of which Isabella published.
Here is one example sent in by a young reader who drew her verses from the Coverdale translation of the Bible. Can you read the first letter of each line to figure out her name?
Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right.
And call upon me in time of trouble, so will I hear thee.
Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes.
Early in the morning do I cry unto thee.Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile.
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.
Order my steps in thy word, and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me.
Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee thy heart’s desire.
Make me to understand the way of thy commandments.
A small thing the righteous hath is better than great riches of the ungodly.
Now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light.
Did you figure it out? The writer was Kate K. Rodman!
Another reader, Fanny C. Tingue, submitted a verse acrostic with a surprise. Instead of spelling her own name, she used scripture to spell out the name of her favorite author:
My sheep hear my voice.
Righteous lips are the delight of kings.
So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper.Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.
Remove from me reproach and contempt.And many believed on Him.
Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord.
Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Fanny’s acrostic spells out MRS. G. R. ALDEN—Isabella’s married name—a thoughtful tribute that must have delighted Isabella.
Encouraging children to craft scripture acrostics was a wonderfully creative way to help them search the Scriptures, practice reading, and memorize verses that touched their hearts.
Why not try following Isabella’s challenge yourself? Choose your name, open your Bible, and see if you can create an acrostic using your favorite verses!
Isabella Alden 