ABSTRACT
Teaching poetry means having a set of objective methods that, over time, will broaden the students' subjective experience of poetry. The facilitator is comfortable with the knowledge base of the art of poetry and with the cultural implications of poetry. The "poetry-based classroom" advocates an integrated approach to language study. As the British educator, David Holbrook, observes, "Poetry is not 'writing about', but exploring experience metaphorically". Metaphor typifies the inner/outer dynamic of the poetry experience. In terms of professional development, the teacher will stay abreast of pedagogical strategies, work with other teachers, and participate in conferences and workshops. As a "focused listening" exercise it reinforces the oral nature of poetry and how it has been passed on. In such a classroom, poetry is esteemed as the primary lens through which the student engages language. The "poetry-based classroom" is a language arts classroom in the true sense of that term, the art of language.
