Carrie's supposed hatred of poetry

They were letters that were written for private viewing, I don't know if that's an inconsistency or perhaps her tastes changed a bit in several years to be more romantic or once she was with her true love she could appreciate it for more than being sappy.

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Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that I'll be over here looking through your stuff.

No inconsistency. I don't believe she was saying she didn't like Alexander's reading of poetry---what she said is she wasn't accostomed to it from men at that point. She supposed in her article that it made her uncomfortable because of the above, but I don't remember her saying she didn't like it. However subtle, there IS a difference. Actually, I think it was cynical Miranda who thought it was phoney. But probably the most important thing to consider is that she wasn't that into Alexander. She WAS, however, deeply in love with Big. I can think of numerous times in my life, personally, where someone I didn't really care for that much did something nice for me that didn't really matter. But conversely, another guy, who I REALLY wanted --- did the same as the other guy, but because it was the guy I wanted---it all of a sudden was the most amazing thing and not at all icky! Ahhh- such is human nature---
But something else that really doesn't make your question valid--- Alexander (as a means of romance and seduction) was reading her poetry TO HER. On the other hand, Carrie was reading out of a library book a selection of letters as research for her next book. That's work-related. She was in bed longing with her long-term boyfriend (Big) on what was probably a boring Tuesday night. She didn't have an agenda, like Alexander. Her and Alexander were still in the impressionistic, highly romantic phase of getting to know each other. Carrie (with Big discussin Beethoven) was simply doing the research she would've been doing 10 yrs before in her *beep* apartment alone on a deadline before her next article.