Addition and Subtraction poetry

Addition Poetry is a procedure in which the poet inserts characters into an existing text to make it longer, generally adding more each line. This has also been called "Larding" by Tom LaFarge. Subtraction Poetry, also known as "Erasures", removes letters from an existing text, generally removing more each line. Snowballs and Melting Snowballs (see Number Poetry) are similar but these forms are concerned only with the length of lines, not their content.

We are also including here operations done with Embedded Words: w(or)ds buried ins(id)e longer words. Art is the middle word in Earth, for example.

We also include here operations done using Implied Words: words formed from the end of o(ne w)ord and the beginnin(g o)f the next word.

Source

Dominique Fitzpatrick-O'Dinn, Writhing Society, Traditional

Examples

Johnson, Ronald: Radi Os.

Phillips, Tom: A Humament.

Kelon, Austin: Newspaper Blackouts. 

Foer, Jonathan Safron. Tree of Codes.

Works that use this form

• Horse Latitudes
• Newspoem 4 May 1999: Variations on the New York Times
• Newspoem 5 April 2000: Patrick Dorismond RIP, NYPD
• Student Talks to Janitor
• [addition poetry]
• [subtraction poetry]

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