To encourage poetry writing among our state's youth, the Laureate's website highlights noteworthy poems written by those age eighteen and under. My goal is to demonstrate that poetry is an art form hospitable to the young. It answers their need to reflect on life's experiences and gives meaning and order to these events. Doing so, young people discover not only the language to express their thoughts and emotions but also the pleasures of language itself.

Writing a poem, then, becomes a means for the young to learn equally notions of selfhood and modes of language that express and thus define them. As added benefit, we adults are privy to what the young have to say and how they say it. We thereby deepen our understanding of the range of challenges children face in the contemporary world.

Click on names and/or titles to view poem and/or artwork. To ensure privacy, only students' first names are provided.

Reavis High School (2012)

Alejandra
Edna
Gabi
Hannah
Julianna

Joseph Stein
3rd Grade
Dunlap Grade School

Hinckley-Big Rock Elementary Youth Poetry (2011)

*Click on student's name to view poetry.

Morgan
Ally - Front and Back
Judson - Front and Back
Tennyson
James
Preston
Emily
Cassidy
Chloe
Jackson
Sophie
Cory
Cameron
Taylor
Ian
Tomi
Charlotte
Sydney
Tessa
Riley
Carina

Illinois Poetry for the President Winners (2011)

Grade School Category
First Place: Cameron / "The Great Communicator" / Taylorville, IL
Runner-up: Sydney / "Ronald Reagan" / Freeport, IL

Middle School Category
First Place: Klancee / "Ronald Reagan: A Life Worth Living" / East Peoria, IL
Runner-up: Kimmy / "A Hero for All" / Grayslake, IL

High School Category
First Place: Nole / "I Want to be Like that Man!" / Highland, IL
Runner-up: Kyle / "Looking Outward from the Sky" / Carpentersville, IL

Indian Creek High School (2010)

Holly - What it means to be Irish

Kathleen - Struggling

Seth - This is your Box

Alexandria - To_Whom_It_May_Concern

Stone Academy (2009)

Poetic License, Inc. Workshop (www.poeticlicenseinc.net)(2009) Poems written in connection with a reading of the Holocaust YA novel, Behind the Bedroom Wall, written by Laura E. Williams. The assignment asked students to personify in a poem an emotion likely felt by one of the novel's characters.

Evan L. - Risky

Eli Krule - Hopeless

Leta B. - Regret

Lincoln Middle School, 7th grade (2008)

Alex

Janna

America

Courtenay Language Arts Center, 4th grade (2006)

Aimee

Michelle - The Sky

Mario - When I went to Joel's House

Cristian - My Brother Jesus

Juan - Summer: The Land and the Lake

Daniel

Lakaija

Kimberly

Marisa - Things I Hate

Marisa - The Mixed-Up Christmas Poem

Marisa - How to Torture A Substitute Teacher

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, 5th grade

Eric, Grant, and Cole - Bread

Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, 6th grade

Jillian - Torn Between

Lilian - A Poem

Rebecca - Aged Cheese

Ryan - I'm Running

Abby - Innocent

Cecilia - My Best Friend

Heath - My Hiding Spot

Marchellis - New Girl

Rose - Ode to Bagels

Denise - Poem about Mom

Ryan - She Sits by the Window

Ellen - So Many

G. Bendell - Sun

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Skokie Public Library 2004 Teen Poetry Contest Winners

Click on names and titles to view poem.

Kenzie Parry, North High School, grade 9
That Girl

Kathryn Peyer, Home Schooled, grade 11
Define -- Dance

Kenneth Doma, East Prairie School, grade 8
I Come From

Rebecca Lisitza, East Prairie School, grade 7
Jammin

Alex Antonow, Park View School, grade 6
Mother's Mystery Meal

If you would like to view archived youth poetry that has been featured previously featured, please visit the Youth Poetry Archive. You will be directed to the State of Illinois Poet Laureate website.

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