Art - I am sorry your husband did not have a better response. I admit I never know what to do or say when I read someone's poetry. I either don't understand it (I am not big on poetry other than trying to play with it as a technique to feel better and usually the parody of styles sort of thing) or I just don't have an emotional response to it. I probably would respond to a poem my partner gave me to read the same way as your husband. I try to be more enthusiastic, but I am not and so it comes off false, which she does not like either (I understand her not liking it - but I can be real and show I have no real response, or I can be fake and try to give her what she wants - I feel trapped). When I am the most successful is when being supportive of her writing it is the focus rather than the poem itself.

Just to give a perspective from a bad poetry reader/even worse partner.