Quote Originally Posted by Martin Miles
On a point that was made earlier: If you say that "only a native can fully appreciate poetry" I wont argue, I would just point out that "fully appreciating" poetry or whatever is a difficult task and it is doubtful how many native speakers who read only for pleasure (the majority) fully appreciate what they are reading.
What's the point of "fully understanding?" What's important is if you enjoy and get something out of what you read. A non-native can, with work, enjoy and appreciate foreign poetry; much more so than someone reading a translation. I would rather do that than read something that I "fully understand" yet don't enjoy or appreciate.