Erasure Poem
An erasure poem is a poem created from any pre-existing text source, where selected words are erased until the remaining words (left in their original order) spell out an entirely new poem. A new title can be added if the poet so chooses, but none of the words may be changed or rearranged making erasure quite a challenging form of poetry.
Below are some example erasure poems...
Erasure Poetry by Scott Sigl...
The Nation to it’s Children
He began asking his questions in a low expressionless voice
as if this were a routine,
You are prepared to give your lives?
You are prepared to commit murder?
You are prepared to lose your identity,
and live out the rest of your life?
You are prepared to commit suicide
if and when we order you to do so?
You are prepared, the two of you, to separate
and never see one another again?
...a long time passed before he answered
Do you understand that even if he survives,
it may be as a different person?
His face, his movements, the shape of his hands-
even his voice would be different,
and you yourself might have become a different person.
Our surgeons can alter people
beyond recognition.
Sometimes, it is necessary
Erasure poem created from pages 142-143 of George Orwell’s “1984”
Original Text from George Orwell's 1984
...’And the conspiracy — the organization? Is it real? It is not simply an
invention of the Thought Police?’
’No, it is real. The Brotherhood, we call it. You will never learn much more
about the Brotherhood than that it exists and that you belong to it. I will
come back to that presently.’ He looked at his wrist-watch. ’It is unwise even
for members of the Inner Party to turn off the telescreen for more than half an
hour. You ought not to have come here together, and you will have to leave
separately. You, comrade’ — he bowed his head to Julia — ’will leave first. We
have about twenty minutes at our disposal. You will understand that I must
start by asking you certain questions. In general terms, what are you prepared
to do?’
’Anything that we are capable of,’ said Winston.
O’Brien had turned himself a little in his chair so that he was facing Winston.
He almost ignored Julia, seeming to take it for granted that Winston could speak
for her. For a moment the lids flitted down over his eyes. He began asking his
questions in a low, expressionless voice, as though this were a routine, a sort of
catechism, most of whose answers were known to him already.
’You are prepared to give your lives?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to commit murder?’
’Yes.’
’To commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of hundreds of
innocent people?’
’Yes.’
’To betray your country to foreign powers?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of
children, to distribute habit-forming drugs, to encourage prostitution, to dissem-
101inate venereal diseases — to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization
and weaken the power of the Party?’
’Yes.’
’If, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric
acid in a child’s face — are you prepared to do that?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life as a
waiter or a dock-worker?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to commit suicide, if and when we order you to do so?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared, the two of you, to separate and never see one another
again?’
’No!’ broke in Julia.
It appeared to Winston that a long time passed before he answered. For
a moment he seemed even to have been deprived of the power of speech. His
tongue worked soundlessly, forming the opening syllables first of one word, then
of the other, over and over again. Until he had said it, he did not know which
word he was going to say. ’No,’ he said finally.
’You did well to tell me,’ said O’Brien. ’It is necessary for us to know
everything.’
He turned himself toward Julia and added in a voice with somewhat more
expression in it:
’Do you understand that even if he survives, it may be as a different person?
We may be obliged to give him a new identity. His face, his movements, the
shape of his hands, the colour of his hair — even his voice would be different.
And you yourself might have become a different person. Our surgeons can
alter people beyond recognition. Sometimes it is necessary. Sometimes we even
amputate a limb.’
Winston could not help snatching another sidelong glance at Martin’s Mongolian face. There were no scars that he could see. Julia had turned a shade
paler, so that her freckles were showing, but she faced O’Brien boldly. She
murmured something that seemed to be assent.
’Good. Then that is settled.’
invention of the Thought Police?’
’No, it is real. The Brotherhood, we call it. You will never learn much more
about the Brotherhood than that it exists and that you belong to it. I will
come back to that presently.’ He looked at his wrist-watch. ’It is unwise even
for members of the Inner Party to turn off the telescreen for more than half an
hour. You ought not to have come here together, and you will have to leave
separately. You, comrade’ — he bowed his head to Julia — ’will leave first. We
have about twenty minutes at our disposal. You will understand that I must
start by asking you certain questions. In general terms, what are you prepared
to do?’
’Anything that we are capable of,’ said Winston.
O’Brien had turned himself a little in his chair so that he was facing Winston.
He almost ignored Julia, seeming to take it for granted that Winston could speak
for her. For a moment the lids flitted down over his eyes. He began asking his
questions in a low, expressionless voice, as though this were a routine, a sort of
catechism, most of whose answers were known to him already.
’You are prepared to give your lives?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to commit murder?’
’Yes.’
’To commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of hundreds of
innocent people?’
’Yes.’
’To betray your country to foreign powers?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of
children, to distribute habit-forming drugs, to encourage prostitution, to dissem-
101inate venereal diseases — to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization
and weaken the power of the Party?’
’Yes.’
’If, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric
acid in a child’s face — are you prepared to do that?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life as a
waiter or a dock-worker?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared to commit suicide, if and when we order you to do so?’
’Yes.’
’You are prepared, the two of you, to separate and never see one another
again?’
’No!’ broke in Julia.
It appeared to Winston that a long time passed before he answered. For
a moment he seemed even to have been deprived of the power of speech. His
tongue worked soundlessly, forming the opening syllables first of one word, then
of the other, over and over again. Until he had said it, he did not know which
word he was going to say. ’No,’ he said finally.
’You did well to tell me,’ said O’Brien. ’It is necessary for us to know
everything.’
He turned himself toward Julia and added in a voice with somewhat more
expression in it:
’Do you understand that even if he survives, it may be as a different person?
We may be obliged to give him a new identity. His face, his movements, the
shape of his hands, the colour of his hair — even his voice would be different.
And you yourself might have become a different person. Our surgeons can
alter people beyond recognition. Sometimes it is necessary. Sometimes we even
amputate a limb.’
Winston could not help snatching another sidelong glance at Martin’s Mongolian face. There were no scars that he could see. Julia had turned a shade
paler, so that her freckles were showing, but she faced O’Brien boldly. She
murmured something that seemed to be assent.
’Good. Then that is settled.’
Poem Explanation
"The Nation to It's Children" was created by simply opening up to a random page in the middle of a book I had never read, "1984" by George Orwell, and simply erasing words and phrases until I found new meaning within the pages. I found my closing line first and realized how many different concepts it could be applied too, and shortly after realized that these phrases could be used in a message about war. The poem is what I imagine an incredibly direct and possibly sadistic army recruiter might ask his recruit in a very first interview. I realized how simply changing the context of the words within 1984 could change the meaning to create something completely unique and powerful in it's own right.