Poetry Criticism

Use CONSULS, the online catalog of the four CSU libraries (Central-CCSU, Eastern-ECSU, Southern-SCSU and Western-WCSU) and the Connecticut State Library-StLib, to find books and other materials on your subject. Choose Subject from the CONSULS Main Menu screen and type your subject:

Example: English Poetry 18th Century

To find books and other biographical and critical materials on poets, choose Subject from the CONSULS Main Menu screen and then type the poet's name (last name first). It is not necessary to type the poet's full name but it is important to spell correctly.

Example: Frost Robert

A list of SUBJECT HEADINGS will appear in alphabetical order. Select the heading with the subdivision "biography" (for biographical information) or criticism (for critical analysis of the writer's works).

Example: Frost Robert 1874-1963 - Criticism and Interpretation

If your search does not have the subdivision you are looking for, choose the subject heading with the most entries. This is usually found in line 1 or 2.

You may also do a word search by selecting keyword from the CONSULS Main Menu screen:

Example: Whitman literary criticism

If there are too many entries, you may limit your search to items available in the SCSU library by clicking on the down arrow next to Search All Libraries and selecting Search SCSU.

You can also limit by year of publication, language or type of material in Advanced Search.

Books pertaining to language and literature are shelved in the P section according to the Library of Congress Classification System. Books that have Ref before the call number are shelved in the Reference section on the main floor of Buley Library. Circulating books are indicated by SCSU Stacks in CONSULS. The P section of the circulating collection is split between the second and third floors. Books with call numbers A through PN501 are on the second floor. PN501 through Z are on the third floor.

Basic Literature Reference Sources

The following multi-volume interrelated sets are excellent starting points for finding biographical or critical information about writers. All of the series is cross-indexed. Look up your author in the index section of the last volume of each set Next to the author's name there will be abbreviations of books in which information about the author can be found. These abbreviations are expanded in the front of each volume. Check CONSULS to get the call number of the publication cited.

Children's Literature Review -- Ref PN1009. A1 C5139
Contains excerpts from criticisms, reviews and commentaries of books for children and young people.

Contemporary Authors (CA) -- Ref Z1224. C6
A bio-bibliographical guide to current writers in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, motion pictures, journalism and other fields. There is an annual paperback title index.

Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series -- (CAAS) -- Ref PN453. C63
Provides autobiographies of important current writers. The index lists names, titles, subjects and schools of writing. All genres included.

Contemporary Authors New Revision Series (CANR) -- Ref Z1224. C58
Provides updates on authors listed in Contemporary Authors. Use the latest CA cumulative index to locate individual author's listing.

Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC) -- Ref PN771. C59
Contains excerpts from criticisms of authors who are now living or who have died since January 1, 1960. There is an annual paperbound title index and a cumulative index of authors and critics.

Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB) -- Ref PN, PQ, PR and PS
Over a hundred volumes, each one dealing with a different topic. To locate a particular writer, check the author index in the latest volume. Check CONSULS to locate books in which the critical information may be found.

Literary Criticism from 1400 -1800 (LC) -- Ref PN86. L53
Contains excerpts from criticisms of authors who lived between 1400 and 1800. Has a cumulative index to authors. Includes all genres.

Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism (NCLC) -- Ref PN761. N5
Contains excerpts from criticisms of authors who lived between 1800 and 1900.

Something About the Author (SATA) -- Ref PN451. S6
Lives and works of authors and illustrators of children's books. Indexes in alternate odd numbered volumes beginning with Vol. 57. Has authors' index and illustrations index.

Something About the Author Autobiography Series -- Ref PN497. S66
A collection of autobiographical essays written by prominent authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. Each essay has a bibliography.

Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (TCLC) -- Ref PN771. G27
Excerpts from criticisms of authors, playwrights, poets and other literary figures who died between 1900 and 1960.

To Locate Poems in Collections

The following reference books are useful in locating individual poems that are published in poetry collections. Check CONSULS to see if we have the book in which the poem appears once you locate the poem in the index.

Chicorel's Index to Poetry in Collections -- Ref PR1175. 8 C4
An index to poetry that appears in print and on discs, tapes and cassettes. Indexes by title, first line, poet, performer/reader, and director/editor.

Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry --Ref PN1022. H39
Index by author, title, first line, and subject. Indexes over 100,000 poems in anthologies.

Granger's Index to Poetry -- Ref PN1022. G8
Indexes poems that appear in collections. Arranged alphabetically by titles and first lines. Author and subject index available.

Index to Black Poetry -- Ref PN1025. C5
Indexes to poems written by black people and published in anthologies. Index by title, first line and subject.

Reference Sources

Contemporary Poets -- Ref PR603. C6
Provides biographical information, critical essays and bibliographies for contemporary poets.

Critical Survey of Poetry. English Language Series -- Ref PR502. C85 8 vols.
Contains critical essays on the major English language poets. Includes biography and critical analysis of the poet's work.

Critical Survey of Poetry. Foreign Language Series -- Ref PN41. C7
Contains essays on major foreign language poets from Horace to the present.

Crowell's Handbook of Contemporary Poetry -- Ref PS323. 5 M3
Information on American poets since 1940 with brief biographies and critical analysis of individual poets.

Encyclopedia of American Poetry -- Ref PS316. E63
Furnishes facts, dates, biographical background, and information on American poets and poetry of the nineteenth century.

Explicator Cyclopedia -- Ref PR401. E9 vol.1
Contains brief essays which interpret famous British and American poems.

The Facts on File Companion to American Poetry --Ref PS323.5. F33 2008

Coverage includes poets from the Puritan period to the avant-garde, important literary schools and movements in American poetry, influential periodicals, critical essays and poetry collections, literary awards and societies.

The Facts on File Companion to Twentieth Century American Poetry --Ref PS323.5. F33

Presented in encyclopedia format, this reference work contains nearly 500 entries devoted mostly to individual poets, influential poems, and literary schools/trends. The focus is on poets from the continental United States.

Guide to American Poetry Explication -- Ref Z1231. P7 G85
This is an index of poetry explication in journals and books. Arranged alphabetically by author. The major American poets are covered.

Guide to British Poetry Explication -- Ref Z2014. P7 M34
Index of English poetry explications in journals and books. Coverage from 1924-1990. Continues Poetry Explication: A checklist of Interpretation (1980)

Index to Criticism of British and American Poetry -- Ref Z2014. P71 C5
Indexes criticisms of British and American poetry from early times to the mid-twentieth century. Arrangement is alphabetical by author.

Masterplots II. Poetry Series --Ref PN1110. 5. M37
Analyzes poems of 270 poets. Presents an overview of the work, meanings of each poem, poetic techniques and styles. Arrangement is alphabetical by the title of the poem.

Old and Middle English Poetry to 1500 -- Ref Z2014. P7 B34
Contains bibliographies, commentaries, collections, criticism and citations to texts of Middle English poetry.

Poetry Criticism -- Ref PN1010. P499
Provides biographical information and critical excerpts from the most widely studied poets of world literature.

Poetry Explication: A Checklist of Interpretations since 1925 of British and American Poems Past and Present -- Ref Z2014. P7 K8
An index of poetry explication in books and journals. Covers British and American poets. Alphabetical arrangement by author.

Poets American and British -- Ref PS303. P64 3 volumes
Contains 72 unabridged essays chosen from Scribner's American Writers and British Writers. Alphabetical arrangement by author. Third volume contains index.

Twentieth Century American Poetry --Ref PS323.5. F33

This is a critical guide to twentieth century American poetry that explores the material, historical and social contexts in which American poetry was produced.

Winnie Shyam
Reference Librarian

ABOUT BULEY