Research Guides: ENGL 14: Introduction to Literary History and Interpretation (Tarnoff): Dictionaries

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Literary Theory and Terminology

REFERENCE SOURCES ON LITERARY THEORY AND TERMINOLOGY

The following reference works are good sources for learning more about particular theoretical approaches, and for finding definitions of the terms used by scholars when analyzing literature.

Dictionaries of Poetic Terms

DICTIONARIES OF POETIC TERMS

The following reference books are very helpful in explaining the many specialized terms that are used by scholars when they talk about poetry.

Columbia Granger's World of Poetry This link opens in a new window
An excellent source for starting research on poems and their authors, this online database contains a handy glossary of terms used when studying poetry. Click on the "Glossary" tab to start your search. The definitions often include links to poems contained in the database as examples of the terms being defined.