Abstract This case study examined how a group of EFL learners at a University in Colombia were encouraged to read and discuss several American poems for the first time in their lives through the reading transactional approach. Participants’ reading experience and critical reactions to poetry constituted the core data that were collected through field notes, learners’ artifacts (written essays), and one questionnaire. Data were analyzed through grounded approach and content analysis. Findings revealed that learners first focused on vocabulary and language structures and then on meaning. This research concluded that the incorporation of poetry as content in EFL education can help learners improve their communicative competence and critical reading skills.