In 1901, she published Garden of Kama, which was published a year later in America under the title India's Love Lyrics.
She attempted to pass these off as translations of various poets, but this claim soon fell under suspicion.
Her poems often used imagery and symbols from the poets of the North-West Frontier of India and the Sufi poets of Persia.
She was among the most popular romantic poets of the Edwardian era.
Her poems are typically about unrequited love and loss and often, the death that followed such an unhappy state of affairs.
Many of them have an air of autobiography or confession.

Details on her life are not easy to find due to her relative lack of letters, but Lesley Blanch, in her book Under A Lilac-Bleeding Star, included some biographical information that drew on unpublished memoirs written by her son.
In Diaries and Letters from India, Violet Jacob provided some information about the Nicolsons and their milieu, although most of what is known of Violet, as she came to be known, had to be gleaned through her poetry.
Despite Nicolson's use of pseudonyms and fictionalised characters, it was apparent to some of her contemporaries that her poems were deeply personal, even confessional.
The "Dedication to Malcom Nicolson" that prefaces her last collection, written shortly before her suicide, provides an ambiguous disclaimer regarding the autobiographical origins of her poetry:
 I, who of lighter love wrote many a verse, 

 Made public never words inspired by thee, 

 Lest strangers' lips should carelessly rehearse 

 Things that were sacred and too dear to me.

 Thy soul was noble; through these fifteen years 

 Mine eyes familiar, found no fleck nor flaw, 

 Stern to thyself, thy comrades' faults and fears 

 Proved generosity thine only law.

 Small joy was I to thee; before we met 

 Sorrow had left thee all too sad to save.


 Useless my love----as vain as this regret 

 That pours my hopeless life across thy grave.
In 1901, she published Garden of Kama, which was published a year later in America under the title India's Love Lyrics. She attempted to pass these off as translations of various poets, but this claim soon fell under suspicion. Her poems often used imagery and symbols from the poets of the North-West Frontier of India and the Sufi poets of Persia. She was among the most popular romantic poets of the Edwardian era. Her poems are typically about unrequited love and loss and often, the death that followed such an unhappy state of affairs. Many of them have an air of autobiography or confession.
Details on her life are not easy to find due to her relative lack of letters, but Lesley Blanch, in her book Under A Lilac-Bleeding Star, included some biographical information that drew on unpublished memoirs written by her son. In Diaries and Letters from India, Violet Jacob provided some information about the Nicolsons and their milieu, although most of what is known of Violet, as she came to be known, had to be gleaned through her poetry. Despite Nicolson's use of pseudonyms and fictionalised characters, it was apparent to some of her contemporaries that her poems were deeply personal, even confessional. The "Dedication to Malcom Nicolson" that prefaces her last collection, written shortly before her suicide, provides an ambiguous disclaimer regarding the autobiographical origins of her poetry:
 I, who of lighter love wrote many a verse, 

 Made public never words inspired by thee, 

 Lest strangers' lips should carelessly rehearse 

 Things that were sacred and too dear to me.
 Thy soul was noble; through these fifteen years 

 Mine eyes familiar, found no fleck nor flaw, 

 Stern to thyself, thy comrades' faults and fears 

 Proved generosity thine only law.
 Small joy was I to thee; before we met 

 Sorrow had left thee all too sad to save. 

 Useless my love----as vain as this regret 

 That pours my hopeless life across thy grave.
Violet Nicolson