Research Help: English Research Guide: British Lit.

Course Guides

ENGL 2200: British Literature I (Tracy)
by Renée Fratantonio Last Updated Dec 28, 2023 15 views this year
ENGL 2210: British Literature II (Mabee)
by Renée Fratantonio Last Updated Dec 28, 2023 15 views this year
Shakespeare Guide
by Renée Fratantonio Last Updated Dec 28, 2023 1 views this year

Biographies

Biography In Context (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
Provides biographical information on more than 500,000 individuals across disciplines and subject areas. Authoritative entries also include interactive video and audio resources and links to vetted web sites for additional information. Content can be searched by name, occupation, nationality and date and even to determine the connections between individuals.

British Writers by Ian Scott-Kilvert (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. PR85.B688
ISBN: 9780684157986
Publication Date: 1979-01-01
Read detailed biographies for British writers. Includes bibliographies.
Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB)
Call Number: REF PS243 A54
The massive collection of blue books in the reference collection. They are organized by different subjects. Best bet: find the latest index to identify which volumes your author appears in.

Quick Reference Help

The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia of Modern Criticism and Theory by Julian Wolfreys (Editor)
ISBN: 9781849722742
Publication Date: 2008-05-01
This book takes the reader through introductions to historically influential philosophers, literary critics, schools of thought and movements from Spinoza and Descartes to phenomenology and Heidegger, before turning to its three principal areas of critical attention: Europe, North America and Great Britain.

These resources can help you get a better understand of terms, theories and concepts used in literary criticism.

A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory by J. A. Cuddon; C. E. Preston (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. PN41.C83 1998
ISBN: 0631202714
Publication Date: 1998-10-23
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism by Michael Groden (Editor); Martin Kreiswirth (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. PN81.J554 1994
ISBN: 0801845602
Publication Date: 1993-12-01

Introduction to Modern Literary Theory
This is a website for a class taught at Mount Mary College by Dr. Kristi Siegel. It gives a great overview of modern literary theoretical approaches.

All Things Chaucer by Shannon L. Rogers
ISBN: 9781849724869
Publication Date: 2010-03-09
This book includes numerous alphabetically arranged entries, from Abigail to Ypres, on items mentioned in all of his works and references the items to his writings. In addition to exploring Chaucer's material world, the encyclopedia surveys the beliefs, customs, and rituals of the Middle Ages.

Criticism

The books in the reference collection (DLB, CLC, TCLC, etc.) are amazing resources for literary criticism. The best way to use them is to find the most recent index in any of the series (they are all part of a collective publication) and find your author. The index will tell you in which title and which volume your author is in. For example you may see: TCLC 28 or DLB 99. That tells you the series and then the volume. You just have to pull that specific volume.

Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism
Call Number: Ref. PN761.N5
Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (TCLC)
Call Number: Ref. PN771.G27
Shakespearean Criticism
Call Number: PR2976.C6

Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Current, comprehensive, and reliable online resource for research on literary topics, authors, and their works. Contains online Dictionary of Literary Biography.
MLA International Bibliography with Full Text This link opens in a new window
The MLA International Bibliography with Full Text combines the definitive index for the study of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, folklore, and film with full text for more than 1,000 journals, including many of the leading publications in these fields.
The MLA International Bibliography with Full Text is produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA) and is international in scope. The bibliography covers scholarly publications from the early 20th century to the present, including journal articles, books, articles in books, series, translations, scholarly editions, websites, and dissertations. Next to basic search and advanced search, you can also search via the thesaurus: a proprietary, searchable collection of thousands of subject terms, and personal names used in indexing the bibliography. The database includes the MLA Directory of Periodicals which provides detailed information on thousands of journals and book series in the fields of literature, language, linguistics, film, rhetoric and composition, and folklore. Entries cover:

publication details
contact information
submission requirements and editorial policies
subscription terms
electronic availability and advertising
useful statistics such as circulation, average number of articles submitted and published, time from submission to decision, and time from decision to publication.
All periodicals and book series indexed in the MLA International Bibliography are listed in the directory.
Literature Criticism Online: Children's Literature Review This link opens in a new window
Literature Criticism Online: Children's Literature Review covers more than 750 authors and includes numerous entries focusing on individual titles and topics in children’s and young adult literature, including picture books, folklore and graphic novels.
JSTOR Arts & Sciences, JSTOR Life Sciences, and JSTOR eBooks This link opens in a new window
An advanced, multidisciplinary database featuring secondary resources in history, scholarly articles, over 57,000 eBooks and other resources spanning the humanities and sciences.

Websites

Subject Guide

Renée Fratantonio

she/her

Email Me

Contact:

For immediate assistance, call 978-665-3223 while Renee is out of office until June 10, 2024.