Quote by Lord (George Gordon) Byron
I by no means rank poetry high in the scale of intelligence --this may look like affectation but it is my real opinion. It is the lava of the imagination whose eruption prevents an earthquake.
Summary
In this quote, the speaker expresses a somewhat contradictory view towards poetry. They state that they do not consider poetry to be highly intellectual, although they acknowledge that it might seem like a pretentious statement. However, the speaker believes that poetry has the power to unleash the imaginative forces within the mind, acting as an outlet for creative expression and preventing more destructive forces from manifesting.