Search our Credo reference database for background information on your research topic.
Overviews familiarize you with the characters, setting, literary elements, and genre of the work. Overviews can be helpful and informative, but they are not criticism.
You can find overviews at Spark Notes.
NOTE: With few exceptions, overviews and reference books provide fairly basic information and it is not recommended these sources be used as required sources for a research paper..
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics by
Through three editions over more than four decades, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics has built an unrivaled reputation as the most comprehensive and authoritative reference for students, scholars, and poets on all aspects of its subject: history, movements, genres, prosody, rhetorical devices, critical terms, and more. Now this landmark work has been thoroughly revised and updated for the twenty-first century. Compiled by an entirely new team of editors, the fourth edition--the first new edition in almost twenty years--reflects recent changes in literary and cultural studies, providing up-to-date coverage and giving greater attention to the international aspects of poetry, all while preserving the best of the previous volumes. At well over a million words and more than 1,000 entries, the Encyclopedia has unparalleled breadth and depth. Entries range in length from brief paragraphs to major essays of 15,000 words, offering a more thorough treatment--including expert synthesis and indispensable bibliographies--than conventional handbooks or dictionaries. This is a book that no reader or writer of poetry will want to be without. Thoroughly revised and updated by a new editorial team for twenty-first-century students, scholars, and poets More than 250 new entries cover recent terms, movements, and related topics Broader international coverage includes articles on the poetries of more than 110 nations, regions, and languages Expanded coverage of poetries of the non-Western and developing worlds Updated bibliographies and cross-references New, easier-to-use page design Fully indexed for the first time
How Literature Works by
How Literature Works is an indispensable book for any reader seeking a greater appreciation of their favorite novel, poem, or play. It offers a lively and straightforward guide to literary thinking. With a series of compact essays the renowned literary critic John Sutherland - widely admiredfor his wit and clear reasoning - strips away the obscurity and pretension of literary study. His book offers concise definitions and clear examples of the fifty concepts that all book lovers should know.It includes basic descriptive terms (ambiguity, epic), the core vocabulary of literary culture (genre, style), and devices employed by authors (irony, defamiliarization). More broadly, How Literature Works explores the animating concepts behind literary theory (textuality, sexual politics), tracesthe forces that impact literature's role in the real world (obscenity, plagiarism), and grapples with the future of reading (fanfic, e-book). For any reader who wants to get the most out of the literature they read, Sutherland's short sharp book will both inform and delight.
The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms by
Like its highly praised and widely adopted predecessor, the second edition of The Bedford Glossary presents definitions of more than 700 literary and critical terms for today's student. The second edition features many additional terms, both traditional and recent, with a greater array of examples that make it an even more useful and informative reference than before.
Reader's Guide to Literature in English by
Reader's Guide Literature in English provides expert guidance to, and critical analysis of, the vast number of books available within the subject of English literature, from Anglo-Saxon times to the current American, British and Commonwealth scene. It is designed to help students, teachers and librarians choose the most appropriate books for research and study.
Palgrave Guide to English Literature and Its Contexts, 1500-2000 by
This comprehensive guide to the historical and cultural context of English literature covers the core periods of literature, and history, from the English Renaissance to the present. Peter Widdowson introduces and outlines key terms, concepts and developments and provides a series of timelines showing political, social, cultural and literary events for each year. Together, this indispensable reference work offers a concise history of Britain for literature students at all levels and provides readers with the context for any literary work from 1500 to 2000. The Palgrave Guide to English Literature and its Contexts, 1500-2000 - covers a wide range of canonical British authors and works but also provides contextualising examples of works from other countries - each chapter focuses on a key period in English Literature and History, gives a brief overview of that period, and defines the main terms and ideas of the age - contains easy-to-follow timelines which may be viewed either horizontally or vertically, allowing readers to track a chronological history, or single out the developments and events of a specific year
Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century
Covering aspects of literature of the 20th century, this reference title includes more than 2000 entries on authors, 50 national surveys that review the literature of countries around the world and 50 additional entries that discuss topics, such as genres, movements and trends.
Literature and Its Times
Information about the historical background of over 300 often-studied literary works from around the world. This five-volume set is arranged chronologically by major historical periods, offering students contexts and connections to enhance the learning experience. Entries feature: a brief introduction to the work; discussion of the work's historical setting; an overview of the events of the time that the work was written; and the work in focus. Under these headings information is divided into subtopics to help students find everything they want to know. Other contextual features include: photos and graphics; bibliography of additional sources; and text enhancements highlighting interesting historical issues related to the work.
Chronology of English Literature by
This chronology includes nearly 30,000 works by more than 4000 authors, covering fiction, poetry, drama, literary scholarship and non-fiction. Each entry includes invaluable subsidiary information.
If you've read and re-read the work but still don't know where to begin, try Bloom's Literary Reference Online. It has a biographies, overviews, criticism and step-by-step advice on "How to Write a Good Essay."
The library has an extensive collection of criticism reference books in the reference area on the first floor. Many are from Thomson Gale Publishing and you can search these using their online index at http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitIndex. When you search the Gale Literary Index for a work, you will get a list of Gale series (including volume and issue numbers) that contain information on that work.
The library has the Gale series listed on the other tabs in this box. Many of these sources are also available in the following databases.
NOTE: The critical articles in these books are often excerpts, meaning they are incomplete. The book will provide a citation, though. Use the citation to find the complete, original article.
Dictionary of Literary Biography
The Dictionary of Literary Biography is a specialist biographical dictionary dedicated to literature. Published by Gale, the 375-volume set covers a wide variety of literary topics, periods, and genres, with a focus on American and British literature.
Something about the author
examines the lives and works of authors and illustrators for children and young adults and is the preeminent source on authors and literature for young people. *After 2016 available online only
Contemporary Authors by 
Classical and medieval literature criticism
Contemporary literary criticism
Each print volume in this long-standing series profiles approximately 6-8 novelists, poets, playwrights and other creative writers by providing full-text or excerpted criticism taken from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. Among those profiled in this volume are: Stephen Jay Gould Sue Grafton Charles Johnson Modern African Literature. *As of 2014 - online only
Drama Criticism
Drama Criticism assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned playwrights and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genre and its creators. Each entry includes a set of previously published reviews, essays and other critical responses from sources that include scholarly books and journals, literary magazines, interviews, letters and diaries, carefully selected to create a representative history and cross-section of critical responses. *As of 2012, Online Only
Literature criticism from 1400 to 1800
Turn to this authoritative international resource for complete critical coverage of the careers and works of the greatest writers and thinkers of the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Restoration eras. Detailed entries offer students and other researchers access to a variety of important interpretations of historical periods, literary trends and topics, and the achievements of noteworthy individuals. *As of 2012 - Online Only
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism assembles critical responses to the works of 19th-century authors of all sortsâ??novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists, philosophers, political leaders, scientists, mathematicians and writers from other genresâ??from every region of the world. *As of 2014 - Online Only
Poetry Criticism
Poetry Criticism assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned poets and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genre and its creators. Each entry includes a set of previously published reviews, essays and other critical responses from sources that include scholarly books and journals, literary magazines, interviews, letters and diaries, carefully selected to create a representative history and cross-section of critical responses. *As of 2012, Online Only
Shakespearean criticism
Short Story Criticism
Short Story Criticism assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned short fiction writers and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genre and its creators. Each of the more than 200 volumes in this series profiles approximately 3-6 writers of short fiction from all time periods and all parts of the world. Entries provide an introductory biographical essay, a primary bibliography, a selection of full-text or excerpted critical essays reproduced from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals, and sources for additional research; many entries include an author portrait. A full citation and annotation precede each of the approximately 50 essays per volume. The series currently covers more than 500 authors and also includes numerous entries focusing on individual works and topics.
*As of 2012, Online Only
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
This highly useful series presents substantial excerpts from the best criticism on the major literary figures and nonfiction writers, including novelists, poets, playwrights and literary theorists, of 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 critics reputation and critical philosophy and providing a synopsis of the excerpt. Approximately 90-95% of critical essays are full text. *As of 2014, available Online Only