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
The first place to go when searching for poetry, information about poets, and commentary.
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
A good place to find an introduction to the criticism, biographies, reviews, and more surrounding an author or a work.
Oxford English Dictionary
"Widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world." Updates added every three months.
Oxford Reference
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.