What is it? It is classified as “found” poetry since it is based on a text that the writer didn’t create — but discovered (found) among the words on a page. We used old discarded books for this fun and creative assignment. The students had to scan it for words and phrases that create a poem. Finally, students blacked out (with a Sharpie) all the other words and, if they wished, added drawings to it. Blackout poetry does not have to rhyme — another plus that students find liberating.
The great thing is that our students had to look at language, word choice, imagery, mood, figurative language, and theme as they created their own poems and artwork! The results are displayed at the LC and it looks stunning.
Well done!
Sandra Richards
Learning Centre Coordinator