Whether or not men like poetry seems to be a trivial question at first. And also very dependent on the character of each individual. I want to point out right away that this is not intended to be a generalization of things that are clearly a matter of personality. However, there are some key characteristics that, in general, not always, tend to be very genre-specific and let’s take a closer look at those related to interest in poetry.
Women love words. I know this is a cliché, but any woman who is honest with herself will admit that communication through language is as important to her in creating intimacy as nothing else. Talking makes women feel a strong bond with the person she is talking to and through words she can express herself and experience herself.
Poetry is the art of adding words in a way that forms emotions. So at first it would seem natural for women to be especially drawn to this art form.
Men do not usually connect emotions with words so much as with actions. However, the man of the greatest poetry writers in history were men.
So how do we explain men’s interest in poetry even though it doesn’t emotionally move them as much as women?
The answer to that may lie in another feature that distinguishes poetry from other forms of writing. Poetry is also very faithful to structure. Although the poems are very directed at feelings, expressions and emotions, they also follow patterns, sometimes very strict. This is something that has great appeal to the male brain.
Poems capture something in a structure that might otherwise even seem inexplicable or difficult to capture in writing. The clarity of the poetry allows for a deep understanding of situations, feelings, or things that would otherwise be difficult to grasp.
Considering this, I believe that men and women can enjoy poetry equally but for very different reasons.
While women admire the feelings that poetry makes and makes them feel, men like poems for the exact opposite reason: because they capture and tame something that would otherwise seem like a chaotic collection of sensations.
The poems unleash an experience for women while offering a point of view that is a great starting point for men’s analyzes. Again, I am not saying that both genders cannot experience both equally, but this is a general observation based on the average of what I have found.
So to summarize my argument and answer the question: Yes, men enjoy poetry, but not for the same reasons as women.