April was National Poetry Month, and the Spartans marked the occasion by creating erasure poems in their advisories. 

As described by poets.org, “Erasure poetry is a form of found poetry wherein a poet takes an existing text and erases, blacks out, or otherwise obscures a large portion of the text, creating a wholly new work from what remains.” 

Students used a page from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” to make their erasure poems. You can check out some of the results below!

Katie Scott, Towery Advisory:

open toward the sunset, four candles flickered in

the diminished wind.

the longest day in the year.

I always watch for the longest day and then

miss it.

helplessly

eyes fastened with an awed expression

I hate that, even in kidding.

impersonal eyes in the absence of all desire.

the evening was hurried

in a continually disappointed anticipation or in sheer nervous dread of the moment

itself.

Nina Kline, Newland Advisory:

Before he was mine he

set the sunset he

looked radiantly always,

always helpless.

Before I could hurt it

We all looked black and blue.

He said I didn’t mean to do it.

Maddie Conner, Newland Advisory:

I preceded onto a rosy-colored porch, open toward the sunset, where candles flickered in

the wind.

it looked radiant.

My eyes fastened with an awed expression on

the sky.

I hate that the evening would be over.

Elizabeth Raeber, Towery Advisory:

I was

compelled

to

light

candles

in

the

black

as

the

evening would

close in dread of

itself.

Westbrook Adams, Towery Advisory:

Before I could reply

the young women

snapped at us all

sitting down at the table

“What do people plan?”

Before I could answer

she talked at once, unobtrusively and with a bantering

inconsequence their

impersonal eyes

sharply different phase to phase

in sheer nervous dread of the moment

itself.

Carlota LaVigna, Luzardo Advisory:

candles flickered

with awed expression

Sometimes unobtrusively

in the

evening

or else in dread

Louise Tillman, Street Advisory 

dinner was announced

four candles flickered

longest day in the year

sitting down

getting into bed.

kidding

bantering

chatter,

entertained.

Reese Jarrard, Newland Advisory

he was my neighbor

hands set lightly on their hips,

he looked

down at the table

he turned to me helplessly

Before I could answer

he complained

he said accusingly, “I know you didn’t mean to but you did do it.”

I hate that.

Marie Rutledge, Luzardo Advisory:

Before dinner

he

set the

table

Daisy

sitting at the table

complained

We looked blue.

Tom

and Baker bantering

making a polite effort to entertain

the moment

Ella Bowles, Towery Advisory:

he was my neighbor wedging his tense arm

imperatively under mind,

Slenderly, two young women preceded us out

onto a porch, where candles flickered on the table

Daisy, frowning snapped them out with her fingers

She look at us all radiantly

sitting down at the table

She turned to me helplessly

her eyes fastened on her little finger

the knuckle was black and blue.

That’s what I

get for marrying a brute of a man,

insisted Daisy.

she and Miss Baker talked at once, unobtrusively and

cool as their

eyes

Collin Edge, Street Advisory

“Why candles?”