The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word TWEEN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
W
E
E
N
More clues leading to the result TWEEN
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Poet's flanked by" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case poet's flanked by = tween.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TWEEN mean?
TWEEN noun- An action of tweening (inserting frames for continuity); a sequence of frames generated by tweening.
- To generate intermediate frames in an animated sequence so as to give the appearance of smooth movement.
- A person in their twenties, between 20 and 29 years old. Possibly including 30-32.
- A child, usually a girl, in the age range between young childhood and adolescence, normally between eight and thirteen years of age.
- Of or having to do with tweenagers.