The article deals with the results of the work with graduate students of philology. The study provides the methodological tools for interpreting the texts in relation to modern interpretative tendencies. In the context of our study a literary text is a model of reality representing the real world – its material and ideal components. The reconstruction of such components requires the use of certain methodology and contributes to the perception of the world picture of a nation. The research develops a typology of English poetic texts based on the principle of interpretativeness. The article provides methodological tools for acquainting students of philological department with these strategies and tactics. The poetic text interpretation in cognitive poetics was made by four-year students of the philological orientation of training. The study was grounded on a competence-based approach in the training of prospective philologists.