Can verse mediate between the educational institution and the wider community of which it is a part? Utilising a case study of a specific taught module, this essay considers whether the performance of poetry as an experiential learning activity has a role to play in the emerging concept of the university as an anchor institution, a term that denotes a particular ethical conception of the urban university. The definition of the university as an anchor institution has particular relevance for challenged cities, where anchor institutions can be fully engaged participants in redevelopment activity. Although the humanities--and English specifically--are often side-lined in discussions about education and urban redevelopment, the vision of the university as an anchor institution, at its best, elevates the arts, culture, and public communication to play a curative role in reuniting town and gown despite the often considerable (and considerably entrenched) economic, geographical, and social divides.