E. M. Forster on the benefit of poetry

On April 1, 1942, E. M. Forster gave a radio talk about poetry, explaining:

I believe in poetry because it is a special human product, for which no substitute has yet been found. It employs rhythm - a rhythm more regular than that of prose and nearer to the dance - and it sometimes employs rhyme and assonance. Rhythm, rhyme and assonance are not in themselves remarkable devices - anyone can work them - but they may release intensities and delicacies of the human mind of which we shouldn’t otherwise be aware. That, condensed into a single sentence is my defence of poetry. (Quoted from page 177 of The BBC Talks of E. M. Forster 1929 - 1960, edited by M. Lago, L. K. Hughes, and E. M. Walls. 2008. University of Missouri Press.)
For a brief biography of E. M. Forster, click here.