Poems may be written in vernacular or rap, all caps or lower case, but a good poem is always serious and substantial, teaching us about ourselves and the world. When a poem works for someone, its power carries into learning that is never forgotten. Across the disciplines, poems can be an aid to learning. Metaphors intensify and clarify meaning. Let them do their work.
Poetry can turn on the light, deepen meaning as nothing else can.
Here are just a few of the other things poetry can do in any classroom. A good poem can change the rhythm of a class. It is the pause that shakes and wakes. Listen to a poem, taste it, repeat it, wonder about it, share what it evokes. Then move on.