Poetry is usually rich with sensory imagery, so focusing on it in presenting poetry can help students see poetry as an experience rather than a confusing form of literature. Sensory imagery uses images to try and evoke the five senses. The types of sensory imagery are auditory (hearing), visual (sight), olfactory (smell), tactile (touch) and gustatory (taste). When students understand sensory imagery, their experiences with poetry are likely to be deeper. They will also be able to relate to poetry better since they can use the imagery to draw on their own memories and experiences.
Many types of poetry follow specific structure and rhyme patterns. Shakespearean sonnets, for example, are 14 lines divided into three stanzas and one couplet. Their rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg. Structured poetry is sometimes easier for students to understand because it's more easily identifiable as poetry. Focusing on the structure and rhyme of poems can help students understand the elements of poetry.
Literary eras are characterized by the type of literature that came from that time period. Presenting poetry by following literary eras through history can help students understand how poetry developed over time. Studying poetry based on literary era will show students how the events of the world impacted the literature. For example, during World War II, much of the poetry that was published dealt with war and the poets' feelings about it.
Poetry can be written about anything, but many poems are characterized by their subjects. For example, poems about the glamor of rural life are called pastoral poems. Focusing on the subject of poems focuses on their emotional aspects. Presenting poems to students based on their subject can help them relate to poetry on an emotional level. They can also identify with poets who write about certain subjects, which will help them better appreciate poetry.
Understanding a poet can help students understand his or her poetry. Poets often draw from their life experiences and interests to create poems. Learning about poetry through different poets will show students that poetry can be personal to the poet as well as to the reader. Studying a poet's work over her life can also show students how poets' work changes based on how her life changes.