TO HELP STUDENTS ENJOY POETRY--ESSENTIALLY AN "UNTEACHABLE" EXPERIENCE--THE TEACHER SHOULD APPROACH THE TEACHING OF POETRY THROUGH A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL POEMS RATHER THAN PRIMARILY THROUGH AN EMPHASIS ON THE POEM'S HISTORICAL PERIOD, NATIONAL ORIGIN, OR THEMATIC CONTENT. THE DEVICES WHICH GIVE POETRY ITS SPECIAL RHYTHMIC AND IMAGINATIVE CHARACTER SHOULD BE EXAMINED BY SURVEYING A GENEROUS NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF POEMS. A FURTHER UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF POETRY CAN BE ACHIEVED BY COMPARING IT TO VERSE AND TO OTHER KINDS OF WRITING. WRITING EXERCISES SHOULD BE ASSIGNED WHICH ALLOW STUDENTS TO APPLY THE POETIC DEVICES THEY HAVE STUDIED WHILE CREATING THEIR OWN POETRY. SEE ALSO ED 010 129 THROUGH ED 010 160, ED 010 803 THROUGH ED 010 832, TE 000 195 THROUGH TE 000 220, AND TE 000 227 THROUGH TE 000 249. (JB)