Ledbetter explores themes and patterns of poetry publication in a variety of women's periodicals published throughout the Victorian era using taste, style and the significance of poetry to advance our understanding of women's lives in the nineteenth century.

Introduction: The Necessity of Poetry in Victorian Women's Magazines Representing Feminine Power and Work Reulctant Prophets: Moral Themes and Exhortations Encoding Beauty Editors and Magazine Poets Conclusion: Why Poetry?