Studying poetry has two goals: to discover what a poem says and determine how it says it. To help students discover meaning, assign poetry for them to read each night and require them to take notes in the margins of the poem. These could include initial reactions, questions, exclamations and things they liked or disliked. To teach the "how" of poetry, distribute a glossary of poetic terms, such as metaphor, internal rhyme, alliteration, tone and syllable, and go over it in class.
Reading poetry out loud allows students to be immersed in its language. Begin class by reading that day's poem to them. Then, ask two more students to read it again. Hearing it out loud three times will naturally lend different intonations to the poem, causing words and phrases to be emphasized in particular styles each time. This will better prepare students for discussion by familiarizing them with the poem's language, phrasing and ideas.
The best way to begin identifying meaning in poetry is through individual response and discussion. Start by asking students how the poem made them feel, what they could relate to or particular lines they liked. Use these reactions to move into discussion of what the poem's message might be. For example, the skeptical attitude of the speaker in Langston Hughes's "Theme for English B" might be easy for students relate to, leading to discussion of its ideas about how "truth" is defined by individual experience and is not absolute.
Using the handout of key poetic terms, ask students to go on a scavenger hunt through the poem to find and underline uses of the devices. Then, discuss their findings as a group to see what devices might be used to communicate the meaning you've already established. For example, Hughes' speaker directly addresses his teacher in a conversational, informal tone, emphasizing his desire to find common ground in the midst of their differing ideas of truth.