This paper is an attempt to provide a new methodology and theory in teaching Korean literature, esp. through modern poetry. I have proposed to use materials and contents from everyday life, through which learners will learn how to build up introspective and positive attitudes towards life. This orientation is significant in the aspect that it corresponds with the general objective of the Seventh Curriculum : that learners will learn how to enjoy reading and how to understand literature through stepwise and integrative learning and through the evaluation of students` performance. Such learning and teaching method places its emphasis not on the overall understanding of poetry on the part of learners, but on the general activities of making learned materials into one`s own mind and spirit, thus broadening one`s sphere of expression. This is not a one-way teaching where learners` individuality is ignored and as a result, learners learn only what is taught to them. It is rather a process of learning to search for one`s own world and its meaning and to be able to use them whenever and wherever needed Parallel to this, I have also proposed that the scope of materials should not. only be limited to printed materials of letters. Rather, they should be presented through diverse media of expression. I have studied how such a teaching method can be put into practice in poetry teaching and examined its practice and effects. For example, I have looked into the purpose and effects of teaching poetry by guessing the meanings of poems just from their titles or reading pxans as presented by different media. The use of diverse media in teaching and understanding poetry as well as creative activities like writing will help learners see, from many different aspects, the works and the world represented in the literature. Through this, learners will achieve highly developed language skills for creative thinking. In this stage, we should take into account the diversity of learner variables. Not to mention the complex Reception Theory, various stances towards literature works should be tolerated in teaching poetry. Especially, if one considers the two-sidedness of teaching poetry as feelings and cognition on the one hand, and theory and practice on the other, teaching literature should be widely open to the divergent attitudes of learners. In addition, learning as well as evaluation methods should be also discussed. It should also be kept in mind that teaching poetry or literature deals with works that are created by human beings just like any type of teaching. Also, because it deals with human beings and thus, a field of humanities, it is crucial to design the methodology to be learnercentered. Such an orientation is generally adapted to various kinds of teaching and learning objectives, but it is specifically of significant importance to teach the Korean language and literature with integrativeoriented teaching methods. This objective can be attained only in case teaching Korean literature and language seeks to cultivate creative thinking in learners. Every teaching method virtually reproduces the ideology of a certain nation. However, this can be challenged; teaching also has the objective to teach individuals how to think critically, which is what teaching poetry or literature can contribute to i.e. to the development of creative and critical thinking and to the mind. Lastly, because learners are in different phase of development and have their own interests, their experiences and thoughts are obviously different from one another. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the problem of systematization in designing the curricula for high-level learners as well as in determining specific materials for poems or methods to provide learners with appropriate learning levels.