I think that the choice between poetry and prose might be dependent on the type of experiences one has had with both as a learner of both. In my experience, students who have had awful times with learning poetry will most probably feature a negative or disparaging view of it. Students who have had positive experiences with it usually embrace it. I think that the choice might be a false one because there is a spirit of greatness that runs through both, but for students I think their preference is largely determinant to their prior experiences with either. This becomes why the teaching of both in a competant manner becomes critical, especally at the younger stages where those impressions become dominant quite quickly with experience.