User Guides Subject Guides > Arts & Humanities Literary Criticism

This is a guide to selected sources of information related to Literary Criticism available at URI. To find additional information, conduct a Subject search in the HELIN Library Catalog. Materials relating to genres, periods, and national literatures are listed with the subheading, HISTORY AND CRITICISM. For example: English Poetry - 19th Century - History and Criticism. Material on a particular author can be found by doing a Subject search using the author's surname with the subheading, CRITICISM AND INTERPRETATION. For example: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 - Criticism and Interpretation.

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General | Poetry | Drama | Short Fiction | Long Fiction

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/ref.html

Academic Search Premier.

Provides full text for nearly 3,180 scholarly publications covering a full range of academic disciplines. Coverage varies by publication, but generally covers the early-to-mid 1990s to present.

URI Ref. PN771 .C59 v.1(1973)-v.121(1999) incomplete

CCE Ref. PN771 .C59 v.1 (1973)-

Contemporary Literary Criticism.

Key excerpts from reviews and criticism in about 100 periodicals and numerous books published in the last 40 years. Each successive volume focuses on about 200 world famous authors, songwriters, etc. who are living or have died after 1960. Complete bibliographical information for sources of assessment.

Library of Literary Criticism.

Selections of critical opinions published in topically arranged volumes with an emphasis on the 20th century. Excerpts originally written in foreign languages are translated into English. Listed under Library of Literary Criticism in the HELIN Catalog. Examples:

URI Ref. PN761 .N56 v. 1-31

Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism.

Limited to writers who lived between 1800 and 1900. Follows the same format as Twentieth Century Literary Criticism and Contemporary Literary Criticism.

URI Ref. PN771 .G27 v.1(1978)-v.42(1991)

CCE Ref. PN771 .G27 v.1(1978)-

Twentieth Century Literary Criticism.

Like Contemporary Literary Criticism, TCLC specializes in providing long excerpts from the best available criticism. Interest here is solely in the great international novelists, poets and playwrights who died between 1900 and 1960.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Modern Language Association (MLA) International Bibliography. 1963-.

Covers scholarship in literature, folklore and linguistics and includes citations to articles, books and some dissertations.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Project Muse.

An online collection of over 100 scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics published by the Johns Hopkins University Press. The full text of all articles is available online.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Gale Literary Databases.

Search Contemporary Authors for information on modern authors including novelists, poets, nonfiction writers, journalists and scriptwriters. Search Contemporary Literary Criticism for full text or excerpts of criticism from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. Search the Dictionary of Literary Biography for career biographies and criticism of writers from all eras ans all genres.(Follow this link to the database list and find the source you need.)

http://www.provlib.org/elibrary/athome/athome.htm

Literature Resource Center (InfoTrac).

Includes author biographies, full-text criticism, bibliographies and other related resources. Searchable by author, title, genre, literary movement and themes. (Chose Literature Resource Center from the InfoTrac list and enter your 14 digit PPL barcode or ask at the Reference Desk for access.)

URI Ref. PN451 .W674 1996

World Authors, 1900-1950.

Biographical sketches of writers who came into prominence in the first half of the 20th century. Entries include lists of works by and about each author.

Z1231 .P7 .A44 1984

Alexander, Harriet Semmes. American and British Poetry: A Guide to the Criticism.

Lists explications of poems of a thousand lines or less. This is a complementary work to Guide to American Poetry Explication and Guide to British Poetry Explication (below).

URI Ref. PR502 .C85 1992

Critical Survey of Poetry: English Language Series.

Includes biocritical essays, arranged by author, on 368 English language poets from the time of Beowulf to the present. Entries include biographies, lists of principal works, analyses and selective bibliographies. Volume 8 presents 22 overview essays on poetic traditions, periods, critical schools, etc.

URI Ref. PN1021 .C7 1984

Critical Survey of Poetry: Foreign Language Series.

Companion series to Critical Survey of Poetry: English Language Series includes essays on 197 poets who have influenced the literature of their native language.

URI Ref. Z7156 .E6 .C64

Coleman, Arthur. Epic and Romance Criticism: A Checklist of Interpretations, 1940-1972.

A selective bibliography of criticism arranged by title of the work. Volume 1 covers English and American epics and Volume 2 covers classical and continental epics.

URI Ref. Z1231 .P7 .G85 1989 2 v.

Guide to American Poetry Explication.

Lists poetry explication from 1925-1987 from books and periodicals. Volume 1 includes colonial and nineteenth century and Volume 2, modern and contemporary. Canadian authors are included.

URI Ref. PN1010 .P499 v. 1-3 (1991)

CCE Ref. PN1010 .P499 v. 1 (1991)-

Poetry Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of the Most Significant and Widely Studied Poets of World Literature.

Provides critical excerpts covering the world's most frequently discussed poets. Entries also include biographical information, lists of works and further readings. Cumulative author and title indexes.

URI Ref. Z2014 .P7 .M34 1991 4 v.

Martinez, Nancy C. Guide to British Poetry Explication.

Volume 1, Old English-Medieval; Volume 2, Renaissance; Volume 3, Restoration-Romantic; Volume 4, Victorian-Contemporary. Covers criticism published 1925-1991.

URI Ref Z5781 .B8

Breed, Paul Francis. Dramatic Criticism Index; A Bibliography of Commentaries on Playwrights from Ibsen to the Avant-garde.

Lists approximately 12,000 critical articles, essays, and books on individual plays by American and foreign 20th century playwrights. Arranged alphabetically by playwright. Title and critic's name indexes.

URI Ref. Z5781 .C37 1986

Carpenter, Charles A. Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism, 1966-1980: An International Bibliography.

Selective list of international publications on world drama since Ibsen. Arranged by topic with indexes for playwrights and authors of critical writings.

URI Ref. Z5781 .C37 1997

Carpenter, Charles A. Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism 1981-1990: An International Bibliography.

Successor to Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism, 1966-1980. Includes an additional 25,200 entries bringing the total number for both publications to over 50,000.

URI Ref. Z5781 .C484

Chicorel, Marietta. Chicorel Theater Index to Drama Literature.

General bibliography of the literature of theater arranged by topic. Long chapter on criticism covers major international playwrights.

URI Ref. Z5781 .C65

CCE Ref. Z1231. D7 .C6

Coleman, Arthur. Drama Criticism.

Bibliography of criticism and interpretation from books and periodicals. Volume 1 covers publications from 1940-1964; Volume 2 covers 1950-1968.

URI Ref. PR625 .C74 1985

Critical Survey of Drama. English Language Series.

Discusses 198 dramatists, their principal dramas, achievements, analysis and bibliographies. Also included are 24 essays that cover aspects of the development and presentation of drama as a whole, including costumes, masks, lighting, acting, etc.

URI Ref. PN1625 .C74 1986

Critical Survey of Drama. Foreign Language Series.

Companion publication to Critical Survey of Drama. English Language Series. Covers 199 playwrights who wrote in languages other than English and also includes general essays that cover aspects of the development and presentation of drama as a whole.

URI Ref. Z2014 .D7 .D68 1996 v. 1

Douglas, Krystan V. Guide to British Drama Explication.

Bibliography of critical works covering the beginnings to 1640, including John Milton. Arranged by playwright.

URI Ref. Z1231 .D7 .P3 1979

Eddleman, Floyd Eugene. American Drama Criticism: Interpretations, 1890-1977.

A selective bibliography of criticism in books and periodicals. Includes several indexes. Supplement 1 includes citations through 1982 and Supplement 2 through 1987.

URI Ref. PN1625 .M3 1984

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama.

Includes scholarly articles on dramatists (entries include biographies, criticism and bibliographies) and on regional, national and ethnic-linguistic drama. Index by play title.

URI Ref. Z5781 .P2 1977

CCE Ref. Z5781 .P2 1977

Palmer, Helen H. European Drama Criticism, 1900-1975.

A companion to American Drama Criticism. Lists English and foreign language criticism.

URI Ref. PN3321 .C7

Critical Survey of Short Fiction.

Attempts to "explore the development of the short story form from its early loose beginnings to Hemingway's 'zero endings' and beyond." Vols. 1-2: The genre historically and critically. Vols. 3-7: The authors, their works and their influence.

URI Serial PN3311 .S8 v.1 (1963/64)-

Studies in Short Fiction.

Periodical devoted to English, American and continental short story writers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Contains articles, news notes, lengthy book review section. Each summer issue features the annual bibliography of short fiction criticism. Indexed in MLA Bibliography.

URI Ref. Z5917 .S5 .T5

Thurston, Jarvis. Short Fiction Criticism; A Checklist of Interpretation Since 1925 of Stories and Novelettes (American, British, Continental) 1800-1958.

Selective bibliography from academic journals, little magazines and books. Arranged by author.

URI Ref. PN3373 .S386

CCE Ref. PN3373 .S386

Short Story Criticism.

A compilation of excerpts from criticism of short story writers from all countries and time periods. Entries include biographical and bibliographical information. Cumulative author and title indexes in successive volumes.

URI Ref. Z5917 .S5 .W33 1977

CCE Ref. Z5917 .S5 .W33 1977

Walker, Warren S.  Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication: Interpretations, 1900-1975, of Short Fiction Since 1800.

Emphasis on "explication," the analysis of structure, symbolism and theme.

URI Ref. PR861 .B38 1997

Beene, Lynn. Guide to British Prose Fiction Explication: Nineteenth and Twentieth Century.

Surveys selected British prose fiction works. The emphasis is on authors who closely identify with the British Isles.

URI Ref. PR821 .C7 1991 8 v.

Critical Survey of Long Fiction. English Language Series.

Provides individual critical assessments of 332 authors whose major works are novels or novellas. Also included are 14 essays dealing with the history and development of the two forms.

URI Ref. PN3459 .C7 1984 5 v.

Critical Survey of Long Fiction: Foreign Language Series.

Follows the same format of the other Magill Surveys. Includes authors, principal long fiction, achievements, biography, analysis. Vol. 5 includes the index of the set and 16 essays dealing with the history of the novel's development in various geographical areas where English is not the indigenous language.

URI Ref. Z5916 .A39 1989

Alexander, Harriet Semmes. English Language Criticism on the Foreign Novel.

Selective bibliography that lists criticism from 1965-1975 on foreign novels - long fiction produced in countries other than the US or the UK as well as American or English writers who wrote in a foreign language. Arranged by author.

URI Ref. Z5916 .K4

Kearney, Elizabeth I. The Continental Novel: A Checklist of Criticism in English, 1900-1966.

Comprehensive 20th century criticism (both articles and books) for major European authors. Under each country, arrangement is alphabetical by author, then title.

URI Ref.  Z5916 .F57 1983

Fitzgerald, Louise S. The Continental Novel: A Checklist of Criticism in English, 1967-1980.

Updates title above.

For assistance
If you need further assistance, stop by the Reference Desk or contact the Humanities Reference Librarian, Jim Kinnie at (401) 874-9240 or jkinnie@uri.edu.

M.A. Thomas 1/79; rev. S.C. Krausse 6/86; rev. J.F. Kinnie 8/01