Looking for a fun, hands-on way to engage students with poetry? Then blackout poetry is exactly what you need! Blackout poetry, black-out poetry, or erasure poetry is the perfect way to ease reluctant students into poetry writing. In this post, I will share how to write blackout poetry with your students!
Blackout poetry is a fantastic way to engage high school students in creative thinking and literary analysis. By turning existing text into new poems, students can explore themes, experiment with language, and even break through writer’s block.
If you’re looking for a resource to make this super easy, check out my Black Out and Found Poetry Lesson! Included are directions for both blackout and found poetry (another great hands-on poem type).
What Is Blackout Poetry?
Blackout poetry, also known as erasure poetry, is a form of found poetry where poets take an existing text and remove or “black out” words to reveal a new poem.
The final poem is a derivative work, using the original text as inspiration but creating something entirely unique. Instead of starting with a blank piece of paper, students transform a random page into art.
This is an especially great type of poem for students who are reluctant to write or nervous about attempting poetry. Instead of starting with a blank page they have to fill, students have a fill page they have to cull! It’s less intimidating and gets their minds thinking in a new way.
The history of blackout poetry dates back to the Dada movement, which used random words and newspaper articles to create unexpected meanings.
More recently, Austin Kleon popularized the form with his book Newspaper Blackout. Other well-known blackout poets include Tom Phillips and Caleb Whiteford, who have taken pages of text and turned them into striking visual poetry.
Check them out if you want to find some great examples of blackout poetry to show your students!
Where to Find Text for Blackout Poetry
Blackout poetry is low prep. All you really need is text that students can black out and some black markers or Sharpies.
Because this is a type of found poem, don’t create new texts for this activity. Old pieces of newspaper or books are best.
This should be a cheap or completely free activity for your classroom. Don’t go buy a bunch of books just for your students to Sharpie!
Finding the right source text is key to a successful blackout poetry lesson. Here are some great options:
- Old books: Discarded novels, textbooks, or dictionaries provide rich material for erasure poems. If your department is getting rid of old textbooks or text sets that are falling apart, volunteer to take them!
- Newspaper articles: Publications like The New York Times offer diverse topics and interesting words for students to explore. I used to take the day-old newspapers from our Social Studies teacher for this. She had papers delivered every day. Students would read them and respond to current events. There were always more newspapers than she knew what to do with.
- Magazines: Glossy pages with short phrases and varied content work well. I used to sign up for some cheap $5 magazine subscriptions around the holidays. Then, I would use these magazines for activities like this.
- Book pages: Copies of entire pages from novels or non-fiction texts allow students to select a random page to start their work. If you really don’t have any old text around, you can make photocopies of good books. Consider making photocopies of your current whole-class read to tie this activity into your other classroom work!
Encourage students to experiment with different texts to see what inspires them. The best thing about blackout poetry is that it works with almost any human document—whether it’s a newspaper, a novel, or a historical text.
Skills Developed Through Blackout Poetry
Incorporating blackout poetry into your high school poetry unit or as an enrichment activity helps students build essential literary skills. Here’s what they’ll gain:
1. Close Reading & Text Analysis
To create a new meaning, students must read carefully, identifying key words and themes within the existing text. They’ll analyze how unused words contribute to the original piece and how their selections create a general theme for their own blackout poetry.
2. Creativity & Word Choice
Students will learn to select the right words to shape a coherent theme of their poem. They’ll also recognize the power of beautiful words and how short phrases can evoke emotion. This lesson will carry over to writing more difficult poems (like the ode) or even analysis essays.
3. Artistic Expression
Beyond writing, blackout poetry is a type of art. Students can use a black Sharpie, black marker, or even black paint to remove words, or they can use colorful markers and their own sketches to enhance the visual appeal. A great display of student work can make your classroom feel more creative.
I always struggled to come up with pleasing bulletin board displays, but blackout poetry makes it easy!
4. Critical Thinking & Interpretation
By working within the constraints of a page of words, students must think critically about developing a cohesive message. This process mirrors professional writers’ block techniques, where limitations spark creativity.
In short, blackout poetry provides students with a challenge. It’s a puzzle they can AI or cheat their way out of.
Simple Steps to Writing Blackout Poetry
Blackout poetry is pretty simple, but students still need guided steps and directions. If you want a copy of printable directions for students, I include some in my Blackout Poetry Lesson. There’s no easier way to show students how to write blackout poetry!
To guide students through their own poems, have them follow these simple steps:
- Choose a text: Find an entire book, newspaper article, or random page to use. (You might want to provide some pages for students to use. Otherwise, they could waste all class period on this.)
- Skim the page: Identify a list of words that stand out. (Recommend students use pencil to box out important words before committing to Sharpie.)
- Determine a theme: Decide on the theme of your poem before selecting your new words.
- Highlight key words: Underline or circle the words you want to keep.
- Black out the rest: Use a black marker, dark pencil, or even black paint to obscure the rest of the page.
- Refine and decorate: Add illustrations, borders, or creative designs.
It helps students immensely if they can see some examples of a blackout poem before they attempt one themselves. You can find a ton with a simple Google search, or I include a couple in my Blackout Poetry Lesson.
Bonus: Use Blackout Poetry for National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, making it the perfect time to introduce blackout poetry in your classroom.
Plus, this activity is very flexible. You could spend one day teaching students how to write blackout poetry or give them an entire week to craft the perfect poem!
You can find more National Poetry Month ideas here!
Final Thoughts
When it comes to fun, hands-on activities, English teachers can’t do much cheaper or more fun than blackout poetry! Showing students how to write blackout poetry only takes a few minutes. Then, they can get to work on their own.
Blackout poetry is a great way to make poetry more approachable, especially for students who struggle with traditional forms.
Whether you’re using it as part of a poetry unit, a way to explore redacted poetry, or simply for the sake of art, your students will love creating their own blackout poems. Plus, sharing their work on a blog post, social media, or a classroom great display will boost their confidence and creativity!
So grab an old book, a writing utensil, and a blank page, and help your students turn a human document into something new. Who knows? You might just inspire the next great blackout poets!
And if you need help getting started, check out my Blackout and Found Poetry Lesson!