Today poetry is an absolute necessity.
The world needs it for its vitalizing strength.
Poetry came into being because of this need,
and it is perpetuated for the same reason.
Poetry has nearly everything that music can give -
melody, rhythm, sentiment -
but it has this advantage: it can come closer to the heart.
Therefore it can have a more personal and a more lasting appeal.
It satisfies a hunger for beauty
that is a part of nearly every normal person's make-up.
It recaptures vanished moments
and recreates scenes that have grown dim through passing years.
It stirs wholesome emotions
and gives glimpses across the border that,
vague as they may be, are a preview of eternal things.
It entertains,
it inspires,
and, in time of need, it comforts.
(Edward Frank Allen)