Library Guides: English Literature: Background Information

Introduction

Use these resources for definitions, introductions, and overviews of topics related to literature.

Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry
Contains thousands of full-text poems and poetry citations, as well as biographies of leading poets, commentaries on hundreds of poets and poems, and a searchable glossary of terms.

Dictionary of Literary Biography
Online resource for biographical and critical essays on the lives, works and careers of writers, with a focus on American and British authors. (Included in Gale Literature database)

Gale Literature
Gale Literature provides an integrated research experience. Discover and analyze content by searching across Gale Literature Criticism, Gale Literature Resource Center, Dictionary of Literary Biography, and Something About the Author.
Oxford English Dictionary
A guide to the meaning, history, and usage of words and phrases past and present, from across the English-speaking world.
Oxford Reference Online Premium
Browse this collection of Oxford background resources by subject. Use the Availability limits on the left to only see items that are Unlocked (owned by Albertsons Library) or Free.