Obituary poetry was popular in the nineteenth century especially the 1870s. During that time obituary poetry was the majority of the poetry published in American newspapers. Julia A. Moore was considered to be a well-known proponent of the genre. Born in Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan, Julia Ann Davis began writing poetry in her teens primarily in response to disasters and children’s deaths found in the newspapers. Julia married Frederick Franklin Moore, a farmer. She published The Sentimental Song Book was published in 1876 by C. M. Loomis of Grand Rapids, Michigan. James F. Ryder, a Cleveland publisher, republished the book under the name. The Sweet Singer of Michigan Salutes the Public, hence giving Julia A. Moore the title "Sweet Singer." Her poetry was thought to be in the same category as William Topaz McGonagall known as poetaster, a name applied to poets of notoriously bad poetry.