A reference resource, such as an encyclopedia, dictionary, guide, or volume of literary criticism, provides general background information on a topic. High quality reference works produced by scholars are an excellent place to start your research, and can give you give a useful overview of a subject.
Use the resources below to access reference material.
A Glossary of Literary Terms by
First published over fifty years ago, A GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS remains an essential resource for all serious students of literature. Now fully updated to reflect the latest scholarship on recent and rapidly evolving critical theories, the new contains a complete glossary of essential literary terms presented as a series of engaging, beautifully crafted, essays that explore the terms, place them in context, and suggest related entries and additional reading. This indispensable, authoritative, and highly affordable reference covers terms useful in discussing literature and literary history, theory, and criticism. Perfect as a core text for introductory literary theory or as a supplement to any literature course, this classic work is an invaluable reference that you can use throughout your academic and professional careers.
The Literary Encyclopedia contains:
You can search or browse for people or works, or use the Advanced search option to explore the encyclopedia.
Go to Content > Browse > People
Run a search for the person you are interested in. Make sure you select All.
If available, click on the Works list to see material by that writer.
Use the links on the left hand pane to find out more information, such as contemporaries - authors active in the same period of time and country as the author you are looking at.
Go to Content > Browse > Works
Run a search for the literary work you are interested in. Make sure you select All Articles:
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Search and/or browse across a variety of full text reference resources.
You can browse by Subject or Reference Type to view particular titles, or search by keyword or author name.
Included are general reference works such as the Oxford English Dictionary, as well as subject specific works, including literature related titles.
Use the link below for quick access.
In the example below, a search for Shakespeare has been made and the Search Results have been narrowed by availability.
The search results will include results from all content on the Oxford Reference Online service. Limit the availability options to Unlocked and Free in order to look at all the resources to which you have full access.
Click on a title to browse the contents or search within the work, as shown in the screenshot below from the Oxford Companion to Shakespeare.
In this title, you can access essays from renowned scholars on Shakespeare's work.
Historical Thesaurus
Use the Historical Thesaurus, accessible from the homepage of the OED, to explore synonyms of a word over time, arranged chronologically. This resource enables you to see how people have spoken about things, places, people or concepts throughout the 1000+ years of language development charted by the OED.
Click here for a guide to using the Historical Thesaurus, or watch the video below.