Blackout Poetry
Blackout Poetry isn't something we are familiar with. This art form is part the Erasure or Found Poetry art genres and can be used to rejuvenate or transform old literature or signs. What is the origin of this poetic form? Let's discover together!
What does Blackout Poetry involve?
Blackout Poetry refers to any type of poem that has been created by removing any unwelcome words from a book, sign, or paragraph. You can use whatever inking and coloring tools are available. You can turn any text into a blackout poet if you have the ability to erase the words that are important to you.
Blackout Poetry focuses on Found Poetry. Found Poetry refers to the art of finding words that align with an artist's vision. Found Poetry can also be done by cutting words and placing them in magazines. Blackout Poetry can be very similar, but it doesn't take inspiration from every type of literature. Instead, it focuses on the best that one page of text can create (or, in extreme instances, a whole novel).
This is why blackout poetry can seem easy to create. This is true if you don't really think about their meanings or purposes.
Blackout Poetry: History
Though found poetry and Erasure may be the foundation of blackout poems, they were fully realized and popularized a young creative man. Austin Kleon, a Texas-based author, discovered a new way to read passages. He began to use words from daily newspapers to make notes and black out the ones he didn't love. He eventually published Newspaper Blackout Poetry, which also included his blackout poets.
However, he said that the technique was first used by poets in the 18th century. Benjamin Franklin's neighbor did the same thing in the 1800s using columns from a newspaper. He started to see the columns from the newspaper and made some amazing puns. Blackout poetry has been created by many other poets around the globe since then.
Blackout Poetry: What is it for?
Blackout Poetry aims to give new meaning to something created by another person. Blackout poets often try to get an entirely different meaning from their initial text block. They use words to make a new story out of the original one.
There are many methods to determine which words would be most beneficial in a blackout. The most important thing is to think about how the words relate to each other.
How to make blackout poetry
It's fun to read blackout poetry, but it's also very satisfying and exciting to create it. There are many ways to study blackout poetry, but this article will focus on one of the easiest and most effective. It's a great way to express yourself creatively within a short passage.
A page of text, black marker or pencil are all you need to start your blackout poem. After that, you're ready to get started…
- You must first choose the text you want to use. You can use articles from the internet, but there are also old books, newspapers, and magazines.
- This is where you get your inspiration. You can look through the text to see if there are words that correspond to the poem that you are creating. This will depend on what text you have chosen. Don't rush!
- Before you black out the rest, circle the words that you choose. Use a marker or a pencil to draw the chosen words. This will keep everything tidy and allow you to edit the poem later.
- Your poem is ready! Do a final reading through before you black out any items. Then, read the entire thing loudly.
- It's now time to create the art. Grab your preferred blacking out pen, or marker, and start to remove all words other than your own words. You can do whatever you want to blackout words.
Many blackout poets create intricate designs using ink or do artistic squiggles. This is the perfect time to let loose your imagination.
- The ink is dry and your poem will be complete.
How can children make blackout poetry?
It's even easier to teach your children blackout poetry. To teach your children blackout poetry, simply follow these guidelines.
- Blackout poetry is a lesson that should be taught after your students have seen some examples. This will make it easier for them to learn.
- Consider the passages that might be of interest to them. Use YA novels, such as Harry Potter and Hunger Games, but make sure they are not ruined.
- Allow students to pick their favourite passage and start to search for words to inspire them.
- Your students should circle their favorite words or themes and have them read them one by one. Keep going until everyone is happy.
- They can then blacken the entire page. You can simply use a pencil to draw or mark the unwanted words. You can also use colored markers in this project!
- Ask them to paint, illustrate or create an image that matches the poem. A title or underlining the theme could be added.
- You can let them display their poems on the classroom wall and encourage children to read them aloud!
What you can do
You can use blackout poetry to create many themes, ideas, or results. Blackout poems that are focused on politics can be used to alter one's opinion about a particular political move. The overall point of a book can be changed by blackout poems that are inspired by it.
You can modify the original blackout poetry or use them as decor. It is possible to frame many blackout poets, particularly if it is done artistically.
Blackout poetry, which is often dark and cruel, can create something new. This is a transformation of an art form and should be used to teach students that there are methods to madness!
Blackout Poetry Resources
You can find some incredible resources to help you during your twinkl poetry lessons. These are our top blackout poetry resources you can use in your next ELA class.
Editable blackout poetry lesson pack – This is the perfect resource for your class to discuss blackout poetry or create blackout poems. You will find a PowerPoint with helpful information to explain the topic. It also includes four texts from famous writers such as Shakespeare, Dickens, Conan Doyle and others.
Blackout Poem Activity – This great example will help children to create their first blackout poetry. This resource contains a PDF file that will guide kids step-by-step through the creation of a blackout poem. The file is ready to be downloaded and printed, so you can get started on your lesson.
Blackout Poem Template Activity Pack Five worksheets with blackout to help students create blackout poems. This pack contains five excerpts from various genres and is a great way to introduce children the genre. These texts are useful for those who don't have the time or patience to find the right text pieces.
The Classic Poems resource pack contains information about poetry. This resource can be great for teaching about poetry. The pack also contains many classic poems, which are great for a blackout poetry session. These can be printed and given to children for them to make their own poems from the classics.
