English

Print Resources

Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia: Contains thousands of entries that explore nearly all aspects of literature from around the world. Includes biographies of poets, playwrights, and novelists; plot synopses and character sketches from important works; literary schools, movements, terms, and awards; and myths and legends. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN41.B4 1996

Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language: Organized thematically in segments covering the history of the English language, vocabulary, grammar, spoken and written English, usage, how the language is learned and new ways to study English. Includes a glossary, list of symbols and abbreviations, references and addresses, further readings, and indexes of names, items, and topics. Willis Library 3rd floor PE1072.C68 2003

Companion to Literary Myths, Heroes, and Archetypes: Compilation of several essays that trace the lives of particular myths in fiction, poetry, and drama. This resource includes legends from all over the world, from prehistory to the modern era. Alphabetically organized, the entries fall largely into four main areas: the cosmos, the psyche, society, and history/politics. Includes a bibliography and index.  Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN56.M95 D4813 1996

Concise Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory: Provides information on common specialist terms of literary theory. British spellings used except when quoted from an American English source. Includes a bibliography. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN44.5.H365 1992

Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms: Provides succinct explanations of troublesome literary terms. Includes a pronunciation key and a further references page. Willis Library 3rd floor PN41.C67 2008

Dictionary of Critical Theory Includes terms frequently used in indexes to critical theory anthologies, standard histories of criticism, and schools of criticism. Excludes biographical entries, literary terms, and terms taken from other disciplines. Includes index of theorists.  3rd Floor Willis PN98.S6 O77 1991

Dictionary of Literary Pseudonyms: Contains over 2,000 entries arranged alphabetically and divided into two sections: by author's real last name and by the author's pseudonym.  Willis Library 4rd floor Z1065.A83 1987

Dictionary of Literary Terms: Defines, explains, and illustrates literary terms in easy-to-understand language. Includes terms from magazines, newspapers, films, plays, television programs, and speeches. No index. Willis Library 3rd floor PN44.5 .S46

Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory Provides basic information of literary terms in regular use today. Includes a brief description and definition for each term and brief etymologies for some terms. Includes a list of abbreviations. No index. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN41.C83 1998

Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory This resource is constructed as both a dictionary and analytic compendium and includes three sections. The first section, "Approaches," examines approaches of literary studies through 48 evaluative essays. The second section, "Scholars," focuses on those who have helped transform the study of literature. The third section, "Terms," deals with the vocabulary of literary theory. Includes list of entries. Willis Library 3rd floor PN81.E63 1993

Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature: Provides a survey of authors, works, characters, themes, concepts, and scholarly methods of study associated with folklore. Includes a comprehensive index and a list of entries by category that allow access to information about a particular regional or ethnic literature, authors, or important literary movements. The cross-referenced entries include selected bibliographies that serve as guides to more in-depth research. Willis Library 3rd floor PN41.E48 1998

Encyclopedia of Traditional Epics The most comprehensive reference work published on epics from cultures worldwide. Includes both oral or folk epics and epics in literary form evolved from oral tradition. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN56.E65 E64 1994

Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century: Designed as a comprehensive survey of significant literary activity of international scope and from the beginning of the century to the present. Arranged alphabetically by author's last name. Multiple volumes. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN771.E5 1999

Handbook to Literature A contemporary reference on literature and literary criticism in English, this handbook provides an alphabetical listing of more than 2,000 important terms and facts in literature, linguistics, rhetoric, criticism, printing, bookselling, and information technology. Covers a wide range of terms, most centered in literature, but extending into other areas, such as film, radio, TV, printing, linguistics and literary theory, music, graphic arts, classical studies, and computing and information science terms. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN41 .H355 2000

Harper Handbook to Literature Arranged in alphabetical order, this Handbook aims to satisfy curiosity about terms such as syzygy or zeugma, concepts such as structuralism or phenomenology, and literary genres and movements such as Drama or Goliardic verse. Over 100 items are new to this edition, including Queer Theory, Reader-Response Theory, Cultural Studies, Anxiety of Influence, Logocentrism, Orientalism, and Saussurean Linguistics, to name only a few. Entries generally range from a few words to summary essays with bibliographies for further study, and cross-references lead from definitions to larger concepts. A practical "Chronology of Literature and World Events", at the end of the text presents a comprehensive timeline from the earliest cities of Mesopotamia to contemporary names and titles. Willis Library 3rd floor PN41.F75 1997

Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism  The Guide was compiled by 275 specialists from around the world, the Online Guide presents a comprehensive historical survey of the field's most important figures, schools, and movements. It includes more than 240 alphabetically arranged entries on critics and theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods. 1st Floor GenRef Willis PN81.J55 2005

Metaphors Dictionary: Contains alphabetically arranged entries of metaphors. Includes a section for thematic headings as well as an extensive bibliography. Willis Library 1st floor  GenRef PE1689.M47 1996

Multicultural Dictionary of Literary Terms Using the full spectrum of literature, including drama, poetry, and novels, the authors draw from a cross section of works by people of many races and traditions for both literary terms and the examples used to define them. The terms defined, for instance, include "noh," "griot," and "barnstormer" as well as the traditional "novel" and "ballade," and the authors listed under "Caricature" include Voltaire, Gore Vidal, Jane Austen, Terry McMillan, and Tsao Hsuehchin. Included is a list of poet laureates and Pulitzer, Nobel, and Booker prize winners as well as a time line of world literature. Willis Library 3rd floor PN41.C28 1999

New Immigrant Literatures in the United States: Surveys the literature written since World War II by immigrants to the United States. Willis Library 3rd floor PS153.M56 N475 1996

New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics: Comprehensive reference work containing all aspects of poetry and poetics, including history, types, movements, prosody, and critical terminology. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN1021.N39 1993

NTC's Dictionary of Literary Terms NTC's Dictionary of Literary Terms contains nearly 600 terms, concepts, and critical theories--all defined, explained, and illustrated in clear easy-to-understand language. Willis Library 1st floor GenRef PN44.5.M58 1991

Oxford English Dictionary (OED): The ultimate authority on the usage and meaning of English words and phrases. Unparalleled in its accuracy and comprehensiveness, each definition of a word contains a chronologically arranged group of quotations that illustrates the word's changing usage, beginning with its earliest known appearance and into the present.  Willis Library 3rd floor PE1625.O87 1989

Electronic Resources

Oxford English Dictionary (OED): The ultimate authority on the usage and meaning of English words and phrases. Unparalleled in its accuracy and comprehensiveness, each definition of a word contains a chronologically arranged group of quotations that illustrates the word's changing usage, beginning with its earliest known appearance and into the present.