Research Resources:
Subject Research Guides:
Literatures in English:
Encyclopedias, Handbooks and Companions
Use to find definitions of literary terms, to identify characters or allusions or quotations, to
check proper formats for footnotes or bibliographies, or to check dates.
Literary, Critical, and Theoretical Terms
A-Z Guide to Modern Literary and Cultural Theorists.
ALEXANDER REF PN 74.A2 1995.
Continuum Encyclopedia of Modern Criticism and Theory.
Substantial articles on major critics, theorists, and schools, with bibliographies.
ALEXANDER REF PN94.C695 2002.
Critical Terms for Literary Study.
This volume, co-edited by Frank Lentricchia, features substantive essays on 28 key concepts, by major critics.
ALEXANDER REF PN 81.C84 1995.
(Also Dana & Robeson).
Dictionary of Critical Theory.
ALEXANDER REF PN 98.S6O77 1991.
(Also Kilmer).
Dictionary of Cultural Theorists.
ALEXANDER REF PN 74.D53 1999.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory.
Valuable for its coverage of theory.
ALEXANDER REF PN 41.C83 1998.
(Also Dana, Douglass, & Kilmer).
Dictionary of Stylistics.
ALEXANDER REF P 301.W35 1989.
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory.
Articles on critical schools/approaches, major critics or theorists, and key concepts.
ALEXANDER REF PN 81.E43 1993.
(Also Dana & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Literature and Criticism.
Substantial essays on literary genres and periods, and on critical approaches like Deconstruction and Feminism.
ALEXANDER REF PN 41.E53 1990.
Encyclopedia of Rhetoric.
Substantial articles with bibliographies.
ALEXANDER REF PN172.E52 2001.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory.
ALEXANDER REF PN 44.5.H37 1998.
(Earlier editions at Douglass & Robeson).
Glossary of Literary Terms.
The 8th edition of a classic.
ALEXANDER REF PN41.A184 2005.
(Earlier editions at Dana & Robeson).
Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. 2nd edition.
Substantial articles on theories, movements, and individual critics and theorists.
ALEXANDER REF PN 81.J554 2005.
(Also Dana).
New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
Part of the Literature Online database, the Encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference work dealing with all aspects of its subject: history, types, movements, prosody, and critical terminology.
Reader's Guide to Contemporary Feminist Literary Criticism.
Articles on types and schools of criticism and on major critics.
ALEXANDER REF PN 98.W64H85 1994.
(Also Douglass).
Routledge Dictionary of Literary Terms.
Substantial articles on key terms.
ALEXANDER REF PN41.D4795 2006.
Companions and Encyclopedias
General
Encyclopedia of Literature
Part of Gale's Literature Resource Center, this site offers a searchable encyclopedia of authors; works; literary landmarks; literary and critical terms; mythological and folkloric figures; fictional characters; literary movements; prizes; etc.
Encyclopedia of the Novel
Part of the Literature Online database, the Encyclopedia covers classic novels and great novel writers, types of novels, technical and formal aspects of novels, as well as criticism, theory, and influences.
Reference Guide to Holocaust Literature
"Provides biographical and critical essays on 223 writers connected to or concerned with the Holocaust, as well as separate essays on 307 of their works."
Reference Guide to Short Fiction
"Contains biographical and critical essays on 376 of the most important writers of short fiction writing in English worldwide, and 403 separate essays on selected works. Also includes some authors of note who did not write in English, but whose works have been widely translated and are often studied, such as Anton Chekhov and Jean-Paul Sartre. Most authors covered were born after 1750, but a few important figures from earlier periods are included as well." Electronic version of the 2nd edition of the print resource.
Reference Guide to World Literature
"Contains biographical and critical essays on authors from throughout the world, as well as essays covering specific work or works of an author, with criticism and analysis of those works." Electronic version of the 2 volume 3rd edition of the print resource.
National Literatures
American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present
Contains "biographical and critical essays on 1,328 American women writers covering all genres and all periods of American history."
**Oxford Companion to American Literature. 6th edition.
ALEXANDER REF PS 21.H3 1995.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson; earlier editions at Douglass & Dana).
**Oxford Companion to English Literature. Revised 5th edition.
ALEXANDER REF PR 19.D 73.
The Oxford Companions are a browser's delight as well as a valuable aid in research. There are articles on authors, literary works and movements, characters, genres, forms, etc. It's worth having one on your desk. Earlier editions provide insight into literary and critical fashion and canon formation. Note too that there are Companions for other major national literatures (including Canadian, Irish, Scots, Australian, Spanish, French, and German, two from a feminist perspective--Feminist Companion to Literature in English (ALEXANDER REF PR 111.F46 1990--also Dana, Douglass, Robeson) and Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States (ALEXANDER REF PS 147.O94--also Dana, Douglass, Kilmer & Robeson), the Oxford Companion to African American Literature (ALEXANDER REF PS 153.N5906 1997--also Douglass, Kilmer, & Robeson)), Oxford Companion to American Theatre (ALEXANDER REF PN 2220.B6 2004--also Robeson, with older editions at Kilmer & Music), and The Companion to African Literatures (ALEXANDER REF PR9340.C65 2000--also Dana & Robeson).
Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia.
KILMER REF PN41.B4 2008..
Similar in format to the Oxford Companions, but covering a broader range of literatures.
See also Benet's Reader's
Encyclopedia of American Literature (ALEXANDER REF PN 41.B4 1991).
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 17th ed.
ALEXANDER REF PN43.B65 2005.
Some overlap in coverage with the different Companions, but especially helpful for tracking down phrases and
sayings. See also Brewer's Dictionary of Twentieth Century Phrase and Fable (ALEXANDER REF PE 1630.B74 1992).
Cambridge Guide to Fiction in English.
ALEXANDER REF PR 821.O97 1998.
Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English.
ALEXANDER REF PR 111.S24 1999.
(Also Robeson).
Dictionary of Irish Literature. 2 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF PR 8706.D5 1996.
(Also Douglass & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of American Literature.
Similar to the Oxford Companions but featuring somewhat longer articles on authors, genres, and movements.
ALEXANDER REF PS 21.E53 1999.
(Also Kilmer).
Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada.
ALEXANDER REF PR 9180.2.E53 2002.
(Also Robeson).
Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. 2nd edition.
ALEXANDER REF PS 21.B46 2001.
Writing African American Women: An Encyclopedia of Literature by and about Women of Color. Two volumes.
ALEXANDER REF PS153.N5W756 2006.
(Also Dana & Kilmer).
Periods
These works are similar to the Companions cited above, but with a
more restricted chronological focus.
Encyclopedia of American Poetry: the Nineteenth Century
Part of the
Literature Online database, the Encyclopedia provides biographical and critical information on almost 150 American poets, as well as topical essays on "Nineteenth-Century Versions of American Indian Poetry," "Popular Poetry," "Songs and Ballads," and "Spirituals."
Cambridge Companion to English Literature, 1500-1600.
ALEXANDER PR413.C29 2000.
(Also Robeson).
Cambridge Companion to English Literature, 1650-1740.
ALEXANDER REF PR 437.C36 1998.
(Also Dana).
Cambridge Companion to English Literature from 1740 to 1830.
ALEXANDER PR441.C36 2004.
Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama.
ALEXANDER PR651.C36 2003.
Cambridge Companion to English Restoration Theatre.
Numerous other titles in this series can be found by searching the Series Cambridge Companions to Literature.
ALEXANDER PR691.C35 2000.
(Also Robeson).
Companion to Victorian Literature and Culture.
ALEXANDER REF PR 461.C597 1999.
Edwardian Fiction : An Oxford Companion.
ALEXANDER REF PR 881.K39 1997.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Literary Modernism.
Essays on people, countries, and movements.
ALEXANDER REF PN 56.M54E53 2003.
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages.
2 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF D114.E53 2000. (Also Robeson).
See also the older but more comprehensive 12 volume
Dictionary of the Middle Ages
(ALEXANDER REF D114.D5 1982--also Art, Dana, Kilmer & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. 6 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF CB361.E52. 1999.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of the Victorian Era. 4 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF DA550.E527 2004.
Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century. 4 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF PN 771.E5 1999.
(Also Douglass).
Harlem Renaissance: A Gale Critical Companion. 3 volumes.
Two volumes on authors and one on topics.
ALEXANDER REF PS 153.H245 2003.
(Also Robeson)
Jewish Writers of the Twentieth Century.
ALEXANDER REF PN 842.J48 2003.
Oxford Companion to Twentieth Century Literature in English.
ALEXANDER REF PR 471.O94 1996.
(Also Robeson)
Oxford Companion to Twentieth Century Poetry in English.
ALEXANDER REF PR 601.O9 1994.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson)
A Reader's Guide to Twentieth-Century Writers.
Includes British, American, and Commonwealth authors.
ALEXANDER REF PR 471.R43 1995.
Special Topics
Focusing on a type of literature or geographical region.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English
Part of the Literature Online database, the Encyclopedia covers genres, major subjects, and critical biographies of writers, as well as entries on each country or region whose literatures are discussed.
Companion to Southern Literature: Themes, Genres, Places, People, Movements, and Motifs.
ALEXANDER REF PS261.C55 2002.
Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PR 149.B5D53 1992.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Allegorical Literature.
Ref PN 56.A5L44.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of American Poetry–the Nineteenth Century.
ALEXANDER REF PS 316.E63 1998.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of American Poetry–the Twentieth Century.
ALEXANDER REF PS 323.5.E53 2001.
Encyclopedia of Apocalyptic Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PN 56.A69Z56 1996.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Catholic Literature. 2 volumes
ALEXANDER REF PN 485.E53 2004.
Encyclopedia of Erotic Literature. 2 volumes
ALEXANDER REF PN56.E7E53 2006.
Encyclopedia of Feminist Literary Theory.
ALEXANDER REF PN98.W64E53 1997.
(Also Douglass & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PN471.S58 2006.
Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PN 41.E48 1998.
(Also Douglass, Kilmer, & Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Frontier Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PS 169.F7 1997
(Also Kilmer).
Encyclopedia of Literary Translation into English.
ALEXANDER REF PN 43.E53 2000.
Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English.
A two-volume set with articles on authors and national literatures.
ALEXANDER REF PR 9080.A52E53 1994.
Encyclopedia of Satirical Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PN6149.S2S56 1996.
Encyclopedia of Southern Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PS 261.S515 1997.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of the Essay.
ALEXANDER REF PN 4500.E63 1997.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PN 56.U8S66 1995.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
Facts on File Companion to the American Novel. 3 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF PS371.F33 2006.
Facts on File Companion to the American Short Story.
ALEXANDER REF PS 374.S5F33 2000.
Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage: A Reader's Companion to the Writers and Their Works, from Antiquity to the Present. 2nd edition.
ALEXANDER REF PN 56.H57G365 2002.
(Also Robeson).
Handbook of African American Literature.
ALEXANDER REF PS 153.N5E78 2004.
(Also Robeson).
Twentieth Century Literary Movements Dictionary.
ALEXANDER REF PN 597.T94 2000.
(Also Douglass & Robeson).
Popular Literatures
UXL Graphic Novelists
"Introduces researchers to the authors and illustrators behind these works, taking care to define and explore the distinction between comic books and graphic novels." Electronic version of the 3 volume print resource.
Encyclopedia of Fantasy.
ALEXANDER REF PN 3435.L55 1997.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Fantasy & Horror Fiction.
ALEXANDER REF PR830.F3D36 2006.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers.
From notables like James M. Cain and Jim Thompson to the more obscure writers.
ALEXANDER REF PS374.P63S45 2002.
(Also Robeson).
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
A highly regarded work with a real awareness of critical and theoretical trends.
ALEXANDER REF PN 3433.4.E53 1993.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. 4 Volumes.
ALEXANDER REF PN1008.5.O94 2006.
Romance Today: An A-to-Z Guide to Contemporary American Romance Writers.
ALEXANDER REF PS374.L6R66 2007.
(Also Robeson).
Quotations & Poem Locators
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. 17th edition.
The most famous and still one of the best sources for tracking down the elusive quotation.
Browse this area in reference and you will find numerous other quotation sources.
ALEXANDER REF PN 6081.B27 2002.
Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Anthologies. 13th ed.
ALEXANDER REF PN1022.H39 2007.
(Also Dana).
Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Collected and Selected Works. 2nd ed.
Since Granger's is not fully cumulative, earlier editions remain useful.
ALEXANDER REF PN1022.C63 2004.
(Earlier edition at Robeson).
Last Lines : an Index to the Last Lines of Poetry.
Granger's allows you to look by first line–this one gives access by the last line.
ALEXANDER REF PN1022.K55 1992.
Novel Openers: First Sentences of 11,000 Fictional Works.
ALEXANDER REF Z 5916.W43 1995.
Chronologies
Chronology of American Literature: America's Literary Achievements from the Colonial Era to Modern Times.
This and the following title are useful for setting
works in their context or for reviewing for qualifying exams.
ALEXANDER REF PS 94.C48 2004.
Oxford Chronology of English Literature. 2 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF PR 87.C69 2002.
(Also Robeson).
Characters in Literature
Cyclopedia of Literary Characters. 5 volumes.
Covers 3300 titles in all languages, from the Greek classics to current popular fiction.
ALEXANDER REF PN 44.M3 1998.
(1990 edition at Douglass).
Dictionary of American Literary Characters. 2 volumes.
ALEXANDER REF PS374.C43D5 2002
(Also Kilmer)
Dictionary of British Literary Characters: 18th and 19th Century Novels.
ALEXANDER REF PR 830.C47D5 1993.
(Also Robeson).
Miscellaneous
Handbook for Scholars. Rev. ed.
ALEXANDER REF PN 146.V36 1992.
(Also Art, Dana, & Douglass).
MLA Guide to the Job Search: A Handbook for Departments and for PhDs and PhD Candidates
in English and Foreign Languages.
ALEXANDER REF PB 11.C37 1996.
(Also Kilmer & Robeson).
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
Directed more at undergraduates.
ALEXANDER REF LB2369.G53 2009.
(Also Dana & Robeson).
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3rd edition.
The essential guide to documentation. Buy a copy so you don't have to run to the library each time you write a paper or article.
ALEXANDER REF Desk. PN 147.G444 2008.
(Also Dana, Kilmer & Robeson).
On Compiling an Annotated Bibliography. 2nd edition.
ALEXANDER REF Z1001.H33 2000.
(Also Robeson).
