Blackout Introduction

Blackout poetry is a type of erasure poetry that features a strong emphasis on visual presentation. In a blackout poem, a found text is altered in a visually interesting way, emphasizing certain words in order to make a kind of artistic statement. The design of a blackout poem can be as simple or elaborate as the poet pleases.

Notes on Using Found Texts

There are two important things you need to consider before sharing a blackout poem. First, make sure that your original source is cited in some way to avoid potential risk of plagiarism. Second, the original found text must be significantly altered. Robert Lee Brewer at Writer’s Digest states, “If you’re not erasing more than 50% of the text, then I’d argue you’re not making enough critical decisions to create a new piece of art.”

An Original Blackout Poem

Links to Online Resources

Erasure and Blackout Poems – Writer’s Digest
5 Tips for Creating Blackout Poetry – powerpoetry.org
Erasure (Artform) – Wikipedia
How to Make Blackout Poetry – Medium.com
Trump Statement on Mass Shootings – Rev.com