We started the Halloween festivities a little early in Sophomore English with our Monstrum Poetica Blackout Poetry Unit! Students were tasked with exploring the eerie world of monsters from mythology and folklore—such as Medusa, the Wendigo, or the Siren—and chose one to research and center their poem around. The goal is to move beyond fear and fascination, uncovering the deeper meanings behind these monsters and what they represent about human nature and society.
Through blackout poetry, students transformed existing texts into original poems by blacking out words on a printed page, leaving behind only select words or phrases to form a new message. Through this creative process, students crafted two poems that explored two different perspectives by answering the questions: How does society view the monster? and How does the monster see society/itself?
This unique blend of mythology, poetry, and visual art encouraged students to think critically about fear, otherness, and identity while creating hauntingly beautiful works of poetic art. Students were definitely intimidated by the idea at first, unsure of how to approach the material, but everyone ended up doing an excellent job. This has been my favorite student project of my career, for sure!