Perhaps especially after she started depositing her papers in the Modern Literature Collection, Swenson held onto her poem worksheets, often going so far as dating them and recording where they were eventually published. This kind of documentation is very helpful for students of Swenson and of poetry writing in general. This page showcases drafts from some of her earliest published poems to some of her later ones.

Settings and subjects of these poems include some of Swenson's lifelong favorites: exploring space, reliving childhood memories, encountering various animals, capturing everyday life in the city, and bridging the worlds of science and art.