Exercise

Step 1: Take a piece of text - perhaps a page from a book, magazine, or newspaper. It is important that you can draw on the page.

 

Step 2: Read the entire text and choose a few words that stand out to you. Circle these words.

 

Step 3: How can the words you selected be connected to one another? Use words such as “and,” “or,” and “but” from the text to connect your ideas, and circle these words as well.

 

Step 4: Take a black marker and black out all the words you have not used.

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Theory

"A blackout poem is a poem you can create without writing any words. It is made from a piece of writing that already exists (...). To create your poem, you remove (black out) parts of the original text until only certain words and phrases remain" (Harvard University, Unknown). 

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Example

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(Glatch, 2021)​​

Sources

• Glatch, S. (2021) What is Blackout Poetry? Examples and inspiration. Available at: https://writers.com/what-is-blackout-poetry-examples-and-inspiration (Accessed: 11 June 2026). 

• Harvard University (Unknown) Blackout Poetry Instructions. Available at: https://declaration.fas.harvard.edu/files/declaration/files/blackout_poem_instructions_with_declaration.pdf (Accessed: 11 June 2026).