Boo Radley’s One and Only Line
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Boo Radley. Did he really stab his dad with scissors years ago? How many cats has he eaten under the porch? Above all, will he ever come out of that house? By the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, he becomes so much more than a game of make believe. He becomes a hero.
Lately, I’ve taken to writing poems in honor of famous literary characters. A mystery like Boo deserves a little bit of poetic secrecy, doesn’t he? That’s why I think the acrostic form is perfect.
You may have written an acrostic in school, in which the first letter of each line or word spells out your name when read from top to bottom. It’s a fun exercise, but there is so much more potential to the acrostic’s unique method of communication.
Remember how Boo finds indirect ways to connect with the kids, like leaving them little gifts in the knot hole of a tree? The acrostic communicates with a similar “secret message,” saying something without speaking it aloud. In my case, I decided to let Boo’s one and only spoken line in the book not only create the lines and stanzas of the poem, but the themes.
Boo Radley, After
While the rest of Maycomb jabbers on, Scout,
I’ll just stay in and carve
Lumps of soap from your story:
Lye gardenias, chifforobes, hams—
You’re never short on truth
Or adventure, but by now you
Understand that my closed door is my voice.
To love, I hide inside another’s heart
And take scissors (ha ha) to the rest.
Knot holes can only hold so much.
Ewells of the world don’t know
Mockingbirds from mad dogs, but young lady,
Every day you go out there, the town
Hurts a little less while you
Open their eyes a little more.
Meanwhile, I’ll nest here and keep an
Eye on your life. Chirp my silent song.
—Tania Runyan
Try Your Own To Kill a Mockingbird Acrostic
Want to try your own Mockingbird acrostic? We’d love to learn about your own favorite line, phrase, or symbol from the book in the form of an acrostic. Then just drop your poem in the comment box below.
Photo by Paulius Malinovskis, Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Tania Runyan.
See more To Kill a Mockingbird Poems
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L.L. Barkat says
Oh, Tania, that poem of yours is exquisite and tender.
In such a short space, you’ve given us a large view of Boo Radley.
Tania Runyan says
Thank you. It’s hard not to love Boo.
Megan Willome says
Oh my gosh, I love that you made your acrostic from his one line! I’ve never thought of using an acrostic that way. I’ve done it for names or themes, but this is far more interesting.
Tania Runyan says
Thank you! I’ve been doing a lot with phrases and sentences in the acrostic form. Give it a try!