In a 1985 interview with fellow poet John Kinsella, Kevin Hart reflected on the nature of poetry: "People sometimes think that the spiritual world is distinct from, even distant from, this world. . . . But the spiritual world is within this one: not as a secret, but as a radiance. . . . We find it through God's grace and our attention. Poetry is one form of attention, and poetry does not lead us to another world: it shows us this world, this relationship, this chair, this ivy on the outside wall." In Young Rain, Hart continues his exploration of the mysterious radiance within this world.