Welcome to the Illinois Poet Laureate's website. What you'll find here will enrich your understanding of poetry and thus deepen your appreciation of the art. You may also discover that poetry can help you to fathom what it means to be alive, as Walt Whitman famously said, "at this bewildering moment of history."

Yes, poetry is an art form requiring an act of attention from its practitioners and its readers alike. However challenging, poetry need not be cold or aloof. It is a living thing, the breath of our breath, something made of air we can feel but not touch. Poems are made of words, the elemental stuff of our shared language – what Martin Heidegger calls our “House of Being.” In this way, poems are made of us and our culture, that beautiful, beguiling, befuddling human blend. Whether in praise or lament, poems celebrate what it is to be human.

This website's objective is simply to promote the art of poetry. Our special focus, however, is the rich bounty of work created by Illinois' poets, past and present. Several pages here highlight Illinois' poetic legacy and showcase the bevy of fine poets currently writing within the state. In particular, be sure to visit the Illinois Featured Poet page to read poems by one of our state's best poets and to hear audio of the poet reading this work. Within the Illinois Poets' Forum, featured poets will also offer prose commentary on the art of poetry.

In addition, this site celebrates Illinois' notably varied chorus of voices. Here, you will encounter the divergent forms poems can engage to express the human condition. You'll also come to appreciate the ethnic and racial diversity of those who practice poetry in our state. In telling ways, this diversity reflects our state's vibrant multicultural heritage.

By exposing yourself to a range of poetic styles, you will broaden your experience as well as establish your own tastes. One means to do so is this site's Video Poetry page, where you'll see and hear Illinois poets performing their work in a virtual poetry reading enabled by web technologies. By clicking on Kevin's Poetry, you can also access video or audio performances of my poems. Note as well Selected Links to selected state and national poetry websites, including my personal site at www.bradley.edu/poet/stein. Finally, choose the Illinois Youth Poetry page for samples of work written by some of our most promising young poets.

Whether you care deeply about poetry or are simply curious about it, you are welcome here. My aim is to foster a broad audience ranging from those just beginning to pursue their interest to those more seasoned devotees of the art form. I trust you will enjoy your visit to the Laureate's website and will return often.

Sincerely,

Kevin Stein
Illinois Poet Laureate