I have a few poems I've collected by contemporary writers in which they create a brief scene, but the scene has two conflicting aspects. There is a literal shift of focus. The meaning of the poem lies in the tension between the two different aspects of the scene. So first you have to notice what the poet is doing. Then you take a look at how he does it.
Someone is gone.
There is dust on everything in Nevada. I pour the cream. In order to do this, especially to carry off the difficult transition between the two elements of the scene without losing the reader, we then analyze how the poets in the professional models take the reader through the transition. Now, it is important that the students know that they don't need to do it the same way as the poets in the models did, but they can learn from their techniques. So, that's how I come up with poetry exercises or prompts.