Only thing that comes to mind is when Buffy dropped her Poetry class in the 5th season, she mentioned having a love for it.  I really doubt she knew about Spike writing poetry.  If she did, I'm sure she would have said something to him about it, possibly made fun.  She wouldn't be able to let that go.

I agree about Buffy making fun of Spike if she knew about the poetry thing. I guess only Angel and Dru know about that one. I'd love to see a fic when the Scoobies discover that Spike used to write poetry, I imagine Willow and Tara awwing and Buffy and Xander mocking and Giles not very interested while Anya is very interested to know if he was a Romantic or a Realist.

Yes, Buffy says that she likes haiku when she drops out of her poetry class, but she doesn't remember what they are called: "The ones that sound like a sneeze?"  She pretends to like poetry and to know who the hell Emily Dickinson is when she has a crush on Owen.  Also, Angel gives her a book of love poems for her birthday in "Helpless."

I'm pretty darned sure that she has no idea about Spike having written poetry.  She probably would have thought it was funny before she started having feelings for him, but I imagine she would have thought it was sweet after.  However, I don't think she would have admitted it to him during Season Sex, maybe during Season Seven, though.

Using Elizabeth Barret Browning was a great selection for Buffy's present in this episode.  Browning was a very small woman, and wrote works that  in their titles are a small reference to Angel/Angelus - translation of Promethus Bound and The Seraphim and Other Works.  She also, like Buffy, suffers from a mysterious illness and also has drugs enter as part of her life and treatment.  Like Browing, Buffy also goes through a rite of passage and break from her father who forbids any of the siblings to marry.  Buffy and Browning, as in this episode, both are against slavery - in Buffy's case, slavery against the position that the Council of Watchers sees their Slayers.