posting HTML tags

hi all, i would like to know if it is at all possible to post html tags.

Word Press seems to phrase the html u put into a post, for example if you type <CENTER> it ill treat it like html and center the text after the tag. But what if u actualy awnt to type the word <CENTER> and print it in a post ??

any one know a solution ? i did a serch but found to many unrelated topics