Poetry Prompt 1/4
Erasure Poems
Happy Poetry Month! This April I am so delighted to bring you poetry prompts, lessons, insights, and the chance to feature YOUR poems. So drop your writing in the comments for a chance to be featured! This post is FREE so go ahead and share this with a friend. Sharing is a great way to support the work of this project. But nothing is better than becoming a paid subscriber where you get you access to 100% of past and future posts. Ok. Now onto the poetry part.
Erasure Poem: What is it?
An erasure poem is written by eliminating the words in a piece of already written work to make something new. Here is an example:
I like erasure poems and I like doing them with students because it gets to FOUR fundamental points I have about poetry.
It is playful.
Anyone can do it.
A poem can be made out of anything.
It sharpens our attention to language.
Yes, poetry is fun and it can actually be enjoyed. You don’t need a broken heart or a tragedy to write it. You don’t have to be a genius. You don’t even have to follow any rules. And yes, YOU can write a poem and use any words you have or find.
Recently my attention was brought to a study that followed kids interest in poetry into adulthood. “A Survey of the Adolescent Poetry Preferences of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders” (doctoral dissertation, University of Houston, 1985 )by Karen Kupiter. Feel free to check it out. But the gist is that the more kids enjoy poetry when they are young, the more they will enjoy it academically as they get older.
To put that into plain terms, when poetry is fun, when we prioritize silliness and play at a young age, it will lead to a continued and more intellectually rigorous relationship with poetry as older kids and adults. Somewhere between elementary school and high school that playfulness often gets lost. But I find erasure poems are a great gateway for a beginner or any experienced writer. And hopefully, it puts a little more joy back into the writing process.
How to write an Erasure?
Start with finding a piece of existing writing. I like reviews, or anything that is dense, descriptive, and short. But you can use the back of a shampoo bottle or cereal box if you want. Nothing is off limits!
Then it helps to circle words or phrases you like. Once you have found the words you want to keep, erase the words around it and what is left is a poem. I can’t stress this part enough IT DOESN’T HAVE TO MAKE SENSE. Seriously, get weird. Surprise yourself. Here is an example. I picked a paragraph from a magazine about painting. The choice was purely random.
And turned it into this.
Here is the poem:
I am looking at a simple work-
bread, red pear, and a shape, a rare achievement.
No objects the same is considered. But there,
to break and throw the color, harmonious,
“kissing colors” you can hardly tell
them apart.
Drop your erasure into the comments for a chance to have your writing featured in the next post! I can’t wait to read them!
I love your poem!—and thanks for the great idea. :)