Divided into three sections (1900-1945; 1945-1980; 1980-2000), this survey documents the publications, activities and achievements of an undervalued literary community. An overview of each period explores the particular challenges and opportunities for women. The chapters that follow discuss the major poets, as individuals or in groups connected by their context and practice. These essays reflect and stimulate continuing debates about the nature of women's poetry and comprise an invaluable resource for scholars, students and interested readers.