Declaration

“Declaration” is a short lyric poem written in free verse. A free verse poem has no rhyme scheme or planned meter. It is a found poem based on a document written in prose: the “Declaration of Independence.” As such, the language is prosaic in a literal sense. The fragments work together to create poetic resonance and sound through repetition.

“Declaration” is also a blackout or erasure poem. An erasure poem is a type of found poetry where the poet takes another piece of writing and consciously removes words from the original text. By doing so, the poet creates a new work in conversation with the original work and its author. Smith applies this blackout method to respond to the hypocrisy and omissions in the famous “Declaration.” Now, the founding fathers’ careful language disappears into blank space, replaced by the words Smith finds necessary. This erasure poem redirects who gets erased in history by giving voice to the underrepresented victims of slavery.