Gallagher wrote a collection of essays on the art of poetry. To gain a deeper understanding of her philosophy of poetry and writing, read Concert of Tenses: Essays on Poetry (1986).

No More Masks: An Anthology of Twentieth- Century American Women Poets (1993) offers the reader a wide expanse of writing through which the transitional changes of language can be explored. This collection contains over one hundred poets, including the works of Rita Dove and Anne Sexton.

Anne Sexton's The Complete Poems (1999) demonstrates the progression of women's language through the years and the writing of a single author. Sexton's poetry centers on the personal issues of her life. Her language is honest, and she writes with unusual courage.

Rita Dove, a U.S. poet laureate (1993-1995), writes about the daily lives of ordinary people in accessible language in Selected Poems (1999). She explores...