Revel in the form.
Anacreontic verse is fun to compose because its subject matter tends to combine everyday observations with supernatural themes and/or celebrations. Some of it salutes the Greek god of pleasure and wine, Dionysus. Revelry, festivals, and parties were as common in Ancient Greece as on college campuses today – and this poetry form played a large role in ancient spoken-word entertainment.
To write Anacreontic verse, look for subjects that focus on love, infatuation, revelry, festivals, and observances of everyday life.
Short and sweet.
Once you have found your subject, write it out lyrically, keeping the lines short and letting the subject sing through your words. It should feel smooth yet energetic. An abbreviated example:
Running down the hillside
young lovers tumble
into meadow grass
and consummate
the song of the flowers
in pollination rites
Continuous motion.
Next, polish the content by trying to make it one continuous movement and keeping the line count to between 20 and 30 lines.
Young lovers tumble
into meadow grass
and consummate
the song of the flowers
in pollination rites
Find the essence.
Now, working the poem line by line, pare or change your words so that each line measures out at three or four syllables. You might have a line composed of only one three- or four-syllable word; that’s fine. Try to remove conjunctions and "to be" verbs, replacing them with high-impact, low-syllable action verbs.
Lovers tumble
into meadow grass
and consummate
songs of flowers,
pollination
Finally, read the poem aloud several times. It should feel like a mellifluous single movement, with the words running downstream toward the final line.
