The present study explores the potentials of poetry in enhancing the linguistic aptitude of learners from Lower-Intermediate to Advanced levels. It is argued that the pervasive subliminal appeal to poetry in L1 provides the learners with an opportunity 1) to ’defuse’ the learners’ worries and fears about the as-yet-unknown ‘territory’ of L2; 2) to introduce the natural rhythm and cadence of the new language; 3)to boost the morale and heighten the awareness of the learners to comment on the seemingly trivial subjects; and 4) to provide an almost infinite fund of possibilities for interactive classroom discussions. Therefore, the self-contained world of poetry may not simply be deemed as an optional extra; rather, it can be seriously recommended as an integral part of the language program along with other forms of accepted linguistic types of input (i.e. modified reading passages, pictorial prompts, contrived dialogues, …).

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