I have a confession to make. The Black Out Poem has captured my imagination. I find it interesting to take a page filled with writing and turn it into something often contrary to the original meaning. It’s like playing with someone else’s words and making them become my own. Free verse is the best way to work with this form of poetry. There are many pages of the book I selected left. I’m going by the old cliché “waste not, want not.” I plan to use Rebecca Hunt’s Mr. Chartwell until it runs out of words to create Black Out verses. The poem I called A Bit Inconvenient.
About the Black Out Poem and A Bit Inconvenient
Poet takes a black marker and redacts words until a poem is formed. It is important to note the text and redacted words form a visual poem.
Method to use
1. Identify source text. The source can be a newspaper, a page from a book, or any written text.
2. Draw a box around keywords or phrases.
3. Make Connections between boxes. (This is optional.)
4. Color the rest in with a marker. You can use any color. The most common color used is black.
I found this style of creating a poem unique from anything I’ve ever tried before. The words are already provided, and the challenge is to make something poetic out of the text. I decided to use Mr. Chartwell byRebecca Hunt to create these poems.
A Bit Inconvenient Barrel chest Stocky limbs Strikingly hideous Nothing decorative Face split Vulgar mouth Monstrous The horror Mesmerising Her fear Alarm Made uncomfortable No way To attack A pause Finally on the Right subject Straining knuckles Drop and explode To move Immediately Answered truthfully A bit inconvenient Maybe
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
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My thirteen year old daughter has been so enjoying this technique, thank you for sharing this.
You are welcome. I have to warn you this style can be addictive.
My child is an artist in mind and soul. I try to find ways to feed that
That is great. I am glad you are feeding the artist soul.
As a mom with a bit of OCD, I have to look past the works in progress, the piles on her desk. It is her process of art.
utterly delightful, Molly <3
Thank you