Poetry is hard to translate, but it is not untranslatable. Due to the various uncertainties in poetry translation, the author of this paper proposes that “imitation” is an ideal way for translating poetry. The academic background of the term has been discussed and a definition been made. Imitation is not “domestication”，but an effort for achieving intertextuality to the largest degree so as, on one hand, to satisfy the target language readers and, on the other hand, keep the spirit and form of the original in translation. Students exercises in poem translation are illustrated to demonstrate the feasibility of application of imitation in teaching of poetry translation.