A biography of Reese, as well as a discussion of her poetic achievements, may be found in the Library of Southern Literature, by Letitia Humphreys Yonge Wrenshall of Baltimore.

However, her sonnet "Tears," published in Scribner's Magazine in 1899, garnered her praise and recognition, particularly from fellow Baltimore writer H. L. Mencken, who stated that Reese's work was “one of the imperishable glories of American literature."

American composers Mildred Barnes Royse (1952)[3] Margaret Shelley Vance (1966)[4] set Reese’s text to music in compositions both entitled “A Christmas Folk Song.” In 1931, Reese was named Poet Laureate of Maryland by the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

She was also honorary president of the Poetry Society of Maryland and a founding member of the Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore in 1890.

The marble statue, entitled "The Good Shepherd," stands on the old grounds of Eastern High School, Reese's alma mater, in Waverly.