von reiche writes in english. she belongs to the "later phase" of south pacific poetry, whereby her perception of reality is through an individual rather than communal viewpoint. her poems have been described as "lyrical". a prominent theme in her poetry is the sexist abuse of power. literary critic tiffin has noted the use of "words deliberate, carefully chosen, hard hitting" in such poems of hers. personal relationships are another recurrent theme in her works, and a quest for love and belonging features. critics have noted some "autobiographical" elements in her poetry, with several of her poems being described as "vignettes which capture transitory moments of tenderness, compassion, jealousy and anger".