This paper examines the uniqueness of poetry and classroom methodology as found in children's experiences of hearing, enacting, discussing, and making poems. Poetry offers the peculiar use of language, form, and a fresh look. Poems are useful in the classroom as they are read differently from ordinary text, are read with both the eye and the ear, and offer children access to a wide variety of experiences. When using a poem, teachers should provide time and opportunity for individual student reflection; poems must be experienced before they can be analyzed. Properly handled, literary understanding and critical evaluation develop as a result of reflective reading and responding, without which, comprehension degenerates into inquisition and criticism into mechanical analysis. An example is given of a poem as read by a child with her notes on her thoughts as she read the poem, illustrating how children need time to be better understood. (Contains 21 references.) (NAV)