Literary Criticism: Poetry
Research Guide

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Note: Off-campus access to some online sources is restricted to current UCF students, faculty, and staff via Pegasus or Proxy connection

Books and Multimedia

UCF Library Catalog
http://library.ucf.edu

Use the online catalog to locate books and multimedia on poetry in the UCF Libraries. You can search by author, title, keyword, or subject. Note that criticism or analysis of a specific poem is rarely the subject of a book-length study; instead you usually will need to look for books that deal with many poems or works by a specific poet.

• To search for a person, as AUTHOR or SUBJECT, search by last name, first name without punctuation; for example:
  • Eliot T S
  • Hughes Langston
  • Plath Sylvia
• SUBJECT searching requires use of Library of Congress subject headings. Here are some example subject headings:
  • American literature--History and criticism
  • English literature--History and criticism
  • Poetry--History and criticism
  • American poetry--History and criticism
  • English poetry--History and criticism
• If you are unsure of the exact title or unsure of the correct Library of Congress subject heading, try a KEYWORD search using two or three of the most significant words from the title or subject you are trying to find.
• To limit by FORMAT in order to find multimedia and scores, go to the Advanced Search in the Library Catalog and use the Limit Search By option.

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Periodical Articles and Essays

Use the following sources to find periodical articles about a particular literary work, movement, or author. In some instances books or essays in books also may be found in these sources.

American and British Poetry: A Guide to the Criticism, 1925-1978

Reference PS 303 .A44

A bibliography of criticism of American and British poetry of one thousand lines or less appearing in books and periodicals from 1925 to 1978, listed by poet. List of sources is appended.

Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature

Microfiche PE 71 .M6 (1920-53)
Reference PE 71 .M6 (1964-90, 1992+)

An index of American and English literary studies, including periodical articles, books, and pamphlets, with references to reviews of books listed. Especially useful for locating British scholarship on literatures in English.

Essay and General Literature Index

Online version (1985+)
Index AI 3 .E752 (1900+)

Index to collections of essays in books, with emphasis on the humanities (especially literary criticism). In the print edition, arrangement is by authors, subjects, and some titles in one alphabet, with full titles of books indexed listed in the back of each volume.

Guide to American Poetry Explication

Reference PS 201 .P7 G85 1989

Volume I: Colonial and Nineteenth Century
Volume II: Modern and Contemporary
Part of a revision and expansion of Poetry Explication (below), following the same basic format (arrangement is alphabetical by poet's last name and then by title of poem), but attempting more comprehensive treatment and extending coverage through 1987. Lists of major sources consulted and a key to journal abbreviations are also included.

Guide to British Poetry Explication

Reference PR 311 .M34 1991

Volume I: Old English - Medieval
Volume II: Renaissance
Volume III: Restoration - Romantic
Volume IV: Victorian - Contemporary
Part of a revision and expansion of Poetry Explication (below), following the same basic format (arrangement is alphabetical by poet's last name and then by title of poem), but attempting more comprehensive treatment and extending coverage through 1987. Journal abbreviations are listed in the front and main (book) sources are listed in the back.

Humanities Full Text (1984+)

An electronic database of citations to articles appearing in more than 400 English-language periodicals dealing with the humanities: folklore, history, language, literature, music, philosophy, religion, and classical studies. Preceded by the print index Humanities Index (1974+).

Humanities Index

Index AI 3 .R493 (1974+)

Lists by subject and author articles from approximately 350 English-language journals covering such subjects as folklore, history, language, literature, music, philosophy, religion, and classical studies. Continued by the electronic database Humanities Full Text (1984+).

An Index to Criticisms of British and American Poetry

Reference PR 89 .C5

A list of criticism of 1,510 poems appearing in periodicals from 1960 through the end of 1970. Part I is a listing of poets, poem titles, and critic citations arranged alphabetically by poet's last name. Citations refer to Part II which is arranged by critic. Title index.

Literature Resource Center

Provides biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of more than 120,000 authors from every age and literary discipline. Contains the Scribner Writer's Series which includes 15-20 page signed essays on more than 1,600 authors and literary genres drawn from 13 acclaimed Scribner print series; and the Twayne World, US, and English Authors series, each of which contains the full text of 200 frequently used Twayne Literary Masters books on individual world, US, or English authors, for a total of 600 full-text titles.

MLA International Bibliography

Online version (1963+)
Index PB 6 .M6222 (1970+)
General Collection PB 6 .M6 (1921-69, bound with PMLA)

Both a print index and an electronic database referred to variously as the MLA or MLAIB; sometimes called the PMLA Bibliography, but it should not be confused with the journal PMLA. In the print version Part 1 is arranged first geographically (e.g., American literature), then chronologically by century (e.g., 1900-1999) with authors listed alphabetically; Part 2, commencing in 1981, is a subject index to Part 1.

Poetry Explication: A Checklist of Interpretation since 1925 of British and American Poems Past and Present

Reference PR 502 .K85 1980

A comprehensive index of poetry criticism published between 1925 and 1978 for poems of 500 lines or less. Arranged alphabetically by poet's last name and then by title of poem. Updated and expanded by Guide to American Poetry Explication and Guide to British Poetry Explication (above).

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Poem Synopses and Critical Excerpts

The following sources provide synopses of poems, or contain excerpts of critical essays that were previously published.

Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of World Authors from Classical Antiquity through the Fourteenth Century, from First Appraisals to Current Evaluations

Reference PN 610 .C53

Contains excerpts from criticism through the ages on the works of philosophers, poets and playwrights, political leaders, scientists, mathematicians and writers from other genres. Entries feature a biography, textual history, a bibliography of the writer's works, critical excerpts, and suggested sources for further reading. Each volume includes cumulative author name, topic, nationality, and title indexes.

Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC): Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Today's Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Short Story Writers, Scriptwriters, & Other Creative Writers

Reference PN 771 .C59

Each print volume in this long-standing series profiles approximately six to eight novelists, poets, playwrights and other creative and nonfiction writers by providing full-text or excerpted criticism taken from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. The approximately 200 essays per volume are prefaced by a full citation and annotation and most entries include an author portrait. Each volume includes cumulative author name, topic, and nationality indexes, as well as a volume-specific title index. A cumulative title index to the entire series is available separately. Available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 : Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth- Century Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Philosophers, and Other Creative Writers, from the First Published Critical Appraisals to Current Evaluations

Reference PN 86 .L53

Covers the careers and works of writers of the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Restoration eras. Entries offer interpretations of historical periods, literary trends and topics, and the achievements of noteworthy individuals. Each volume includes cumulative author name, topic, nationality, and title indexes; a cumulative title index to the entire series is published separately.

MagillOnLiterature

A full-text database that includes brief plot summaries of the most studied works in the history of literature. This database includes articles from the following print sources: Masterplots, Masterplots II, Cyclopedia of World Authors, Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, Magill's Literary Annual 1990-2001, Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, and Magill Book Reviews.

Masterplots II: Poetry Series

Reference PN 1110.5 .M37

Briefly examines the theme, style, and technique of more than 1,000 poets. The essays in this set are available online in the MagillOnLiterature database.

Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism (NCLC): Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Nineteenth-Century Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Short-Story Writers, & Other Creative Writers

Reference PN 761 .N5

Presents substantial excerpts of criticism on poets, novelists, short story writers, dramatists and philosophers who died between 1800 and 1899. Each volume presents overviews of four to eight authors with chronologically arranged criticism representing the entire range of response to each author. Entries typically include an author portrait, an introduction to the author, a primary bibliography, annotated criticism and an annotated list of further reading sources. Every fourth volume is a "Topics" volume covering major literary movements, trends and other topics related to nineteenth-century literature. Volumes include author, nationality, topic and title indexes; a cumulative title index to the entire series is published separately. Available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

Poetry Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of the Most Significant and Widely Studied Poets of World Literature.

Reference PN 1010 .P499

An ongoing, multi-volume set that presents critical views on the most widely studied writers of poetry. Each volume includes overviews of four to eight poets and an historical survey of the critical response to their work. Each volume includes a cumulative author and nationality index as well as a volume-specific title index. The most recent volume indexes previous volumes in the series. Available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (TCLC): Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Novelists, Poets, Playwrights, Short Story Writers, & Other Creative Writers Who Died Between 1900 & 1999

Reference PN 94 .T83

Presents substantial excerpts of criticism on major literary figures and nonfiction writers, including novelists, poets, playwrights and literary theorists, who died between 1900 to 1999. Each volume presents overviews of four to eight authors with chronologically arranged criticism representing the entire range of response to each author. A typical excerpt is prefaced by an annotation that explains the critic's reputation and critical philosophy and providing a synopsis of the excerpt. Every fourth volume is a "Topics" volume covering major literary movements, trends and other topics. Volumes include author, nationality, topic and title indexes; a cumulative title index to the entire series is published separately. Available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

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Biographical and Bio-Critical Information

There are many sources of biographical and bio-critical information for poets; the titles listed below are but a sampling of the basic sources usually consulted. In addition, the sources listed under the headings "Poem Synopses and Critical Excerpts" and "Handbooks and Dictionaries" may provide biographical information about a writer. The following sources are also beneficial in gaining a good overview of a poet's basic themes, techniques, and motifs.

American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies

Reference PS 129 .A55

Provides information about the lives, careers, and works of major American writers. Each essay in the multi-volume set is approximately 20 pages. The heart of each essay is a critical evaluation and analysis of the writer's major works, followed by a selective bibliography both of the author's works and books and articles about the works. Each of the essays in the print edition is available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

Biography Resource Center

Contains biographical information on over one million individuals from all time periods, geographical locations, and fields of endeavor. The "Biographical Facts Search" allows searching for people based on one or more personal facts, such as occupation.

British Writers

Reference PR 85 .B688

Provides information about the lives, careers, and works of major British writers from the fourteenth century to the present day in chronological order by birth date. The essays are evaluative surveys of authors' writings, with a selected bibliography of the authors' works and criticism about the works. Each of the essays in the print edition is available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

Contemporary Authors: A Bio-Bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television

Reference PN 771 .C662

A multi-volume series that contains biographical information on approximately 112,000 modern novelists, poets, playwrights, nonfiction writers, journalists and scriptwriters. Sketches typically include personal information, addresses, career history, writings, work in progress, biographical/critical sources and authors' comments and/or informative essays about their lives and work. Each of the sketches in the print edition is available online in the Biography Resource Center database.

Contemporary Poets

Reference PR 603 .C6 2001

Biographical sketches of contemporary English-language poets, with a list of critical studies of the poet's work as well as a critical summary of each poet's career.

Critical Survey of Poetry: English Language Series

Reference PR 502 .C85 1992

A comprehensive overview of English language poets, their works, and the poetic genre in general. Lengthy analyses of each poet's works are followed by lists of other works and bibliographies.

Critical Survey of Poetry: Foreign Language Series

Reference PN 41 .C7

Selective coverage of poets writing in languages other than English, with biographical information and a comprehensive overview of the poet's works. Lengthy analyses of each poet's works are followed by lists of other works and bibliographies.

Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB)

Reference PS 21 .D5

Includes the full text of biographical essays which provide an extended study of an author's life and work. Each essay includes primary and secondary bibliographies for further study. Each of the essays in the print volumes is available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

European Writers

Reference PN 501 .E9 1983

Provides information about the lives, careers, and works of major European writers from the medieval times to the present day in chronological order by birth date. Use index volume to locate author/specific work. Essays from the print edition is available online in the Literature Resource Center database.

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Handbooks and Dictionaries

The handbooks and dictionaries listed below provide assistance in defining and using appropriate literary terms and concepts and in identifying intellectual trends and movements.

Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia

Reference PN 41 .B4 1996

A comprehensive work containing brief articles on literary schools and movements, critical terms and expressions, as well as literary allusions, plot summaries, and brief biographies of authors.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

http://www.bartleby.com/81/

Reference PN 43 .B65 1999

Gives the derivation, source, or origin of allusions, colloquial and proverbial phrases, biographical references, fictitious characters and titles, and words that have a tale to tell.

A Dictionary of Modern Critical Terms

Reference PN 41 .D4794 1987

Distinguished from traditional dictionaries of literary terms in its attempt to deal with the application and usage of critical terms rather than simply provide literal lexical meanings.

A Handbook to Literature

Reference PN 41 .H36 1992

A standard source of comparatively brief explanations of the words and phrases which are peculiar to the study of English and American literature. The emphasis is on critical terms and critical schools and movements. Contains an outline of English and American literary history. Index of proper names.

The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics

Reference PN 1021 .N39 1993

A comprehensive work dealing with all aspects poetry: history, types, movements, meter, prosody, and critical terminology. Entries vary in length from relatively brief entries to substantial articles of about 20,000 words.

The Oxford Companion to American Literature

Reference PS 21 .H3 1995

Contains more than 5,000 entries on authors and other persons, literary works, terms, characters, movements, awards, organizations, historical and cultural events, and a long list of other topics related to American literature.

The Oxford Companion to English Literature

Reference PR 19 .D73 1998

Entries on authors born before 1940, works, characters, movements, critical theories, periods, groups, historical figures, terminology, literary allusions, and places related to English literature.

Patterns of Poetry: An Encyclopedia of Forms

General Collection PN 1042 .W514 1986

Stanza patterns and poetic forms -- including several not in The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (above) -- are extensively illustrated.

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Poem Text Indexes

Individual poems usually are not listed in the UCF Library Catalog, but are printed in various collections or anthologies of poetry. The following sources are helpful in locating the text of poems in collections and anthologies.

The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Anthologies

Reference PN 1022 .H39 2002

A title and first-line, selective last-line, author, and subject index to some 81,000 English-language poems (including translations) in anthologies. This title indexes only the works of many poets published in anthologies, as opposed to The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Collected and Selected Works (below), which indexes collections of individual poets. To find a poem published in an anthology listed in this index, search the UCF Library Catalog by anthology title or editor's name. Since the current edition is not fully cumulative, earlier editions of Granger's are still useful.

The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Collected and Selected Works

Reference PN 1022 .C63 1996

A title and first-line, author, and subject index to some 50,000 poems in collections by 251 poets. This title indexes only collections of individual poets, as opposed to The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Anthologies (above), which indexes the works of many poets published in anthologies. To find a poem published in a collection listed in this index, search the UCF Library Catalog by collection title or poet's name.

An Index to American Periodical Verse

Reference PN 1021 .I54 (1971+)

An author list of poems appearing in selected periodicals, primarily English-language little magazines, university reviews, and scholarly journals published in North America. A few Spanish-language publications have been indexed since 1981. Covers about 300 periodicals and includes poets from all periods and countries, although the majority are contemporary American writers. To find a poem published in a periodical listed in this index, search the UCF Library Catalog by periodical/magazine title.

Last Lines: An Index to the Last Lines of Poetry

Reference PN 1022 .K55 1991

A last-line, title, author, and key word index to approximately 171,000 poems originally written in English or translated into English. Covers 405 poetry anthologies published through 1987. To find a poem published in an anthology listed in this index, search the UCF Library Catalog by anthology title or editor's name.

Poem Finder

Provides approximately 100,000 full-text poems, citations and excerpts to another 800,000, plus explanations, biographies, pictures and more.

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Internet Sources

The following selected Internet "meta-sites" provide useful information in the field of literary studies.

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Style Manuals

The style manuals listed below offer assistance with the mechanics of paper presentation, such as preparing bibliographies, footnoting, underlining, and using quotation marks.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th ed.

Reference Desk LB 2369 .G53 1999

A standard guide to research, writing, and the mechanics of paper presentation in literary studies, including some examples for citing electronic publications (Internet sites, electronic journals, online books, etc.). See also the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (Reference PN 147 .G444 1998).

MLA Style

http://www.mla.org

Contents include a link to "Documenting Sources on the World Wide Web." Several examples are provided.

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Ask a Librarian

If you have questions or need additional assistance, Ask a Librarian, call the Reference Department at (407) 823-2562, or e-mail the Department at askalibrarian@mail.ucf.edu. The library liaison for English and Foreign Languages and Literatures is Cheryl A. Mahan, University Librarian, cmahan@mail.ucf.edu.

Last Updated: 03 June 2009