print version

Use the sources listed below to find criticism of poetry. For help with using the sources described in this guide and for further assistance with your research, consult a Reference Librarian at the Information Desk.

• If you need a QUICK FIX on a poem, use the following sources which include critical articles on hundreds of poems.

Critical Survey of Poetry.
Includes essays on 698 poets and their works.
REFERENCE 1ST FLOOR PN1021 .C7 2002

Masterplots II. Poetry Series.
Contains 1,386 critical essays on individual poems.
REFERENCE 1ST FLOOR PN1110.5 .M37 2002

Masterplots II. African American Literature Series.
REFERENCE 1ST FLOOR PS153 .N5 M2645 1994

Masterplots II. Women’s Literature Series.
REFERENCE 1ST FLO0R PN471 .M37 1995

• If you are doing SERIOUS RESEARCH for a paper on a poem, use the following sources:

Connelly Library Catalog.
To locate criticism of a poem in books that are in the library’s circulating collection, type the poet’s name in the library’s catalog as a subject. Your search results will display the poet’s name followed by various subdivisions, such as BIBLIOGRAPHY, CRITICISM AND INTERPRETATION, and ENCYCLOPEDIAS. Collections of criticism of a particular poem will appear under the title of the poem as a subdivision (e.g., ELIOT, T. S. (THOMAS STEARNS), 1888-1965. WASTE LAND).

Literary Index.
This online source indexes various critical series, such as Poetry Criticism. To locate criticism of a poem, type the title of the poem in the Title Search form that is provided. Your search results will list the series that contain entries on the poem. Check the library’s catalog under the series title to obtain its location and call number.

MLA International Bibliography.
Produced by the Modern Language Association of America, this database provides indexing of critical articles in periodicals and books from 1926 to the present.