Between 1886 and 1925, he published seven volumes of poetry in addition to various poems published in newspapers like the
Boston Transcript. Among his most famous poems is "The Grapevine Swing" (1892), which was frequently recited by schoolchildren. Upon the publication of his second book, one critic praised his "light verse, admirably written" and his "simple melodies" that were "rhythmically smooth". As Peck himself noted, "In the making of my verses I have striven for simplicity, grace, and beauty. I have felt that sublimity was beyond my power to achieve." Peck showed an obvious dislike of less traditional poetic forms and privately noted his dislike for more Avant Garde poets including
Amy Lowell,
Ezra Pound,
Harriet Monroe, and fellow Alabama writer
Clement Wood, whom he satirized in his poem "The Poet and the Pixie". After the turn of the century, even Peck admitted he had become "somewhat passé". Less often, Peck experimented with writing prose. In the 1890s, he attempted to replicate the success of local color stories by writers like
Mary Noailles Murfree,
Thomas Nelson Page, and
Joel Chandler Harris, and published 25 such works in
Alabama Sketches (1902). During interviews in his later years, he rarely referred to his attempts at prose and considered himself first and foremost a poet. ==Published works==