LibGuides: E 314: Background Information

Places to start

Background Information can save you time by giving you an overview of your topic. Learn about concepts, vocabulary, and events related to your texts. Background information can help you brainstorm keywords that will bring you better search results in subject-specific databases. You can also find scholarly alternatives to Wikipedia articles in these resources.

Here are some good places to start:

Literary Reference Center
Includes plot summaries, literary criticism, author biographies, book reviews, poems, short stories, classic texts, author interviews, and more.
Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism
Excellent scholarly synopses of key literary theories, criticism, theorists/critics, and philosophers, from Plato and Aristotle to the present. Published by Johns Hopkins Press.
African American Studies Center
Search for African American authors, events, or themes. Includes biographies, overview articles, and bibliographies.

Other options:

Find more online encyclopedias purchased by the UT Libraries.
Catalog search for your topic and encyclopedia, biography, or bibliography. Ex: "jane austen" AND (encyclopedia OR biography OR dictionary).

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Oxford English Dictionary

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
The Oxford English dictionary is the definitive record of the English language. It provides in-depth etymologies and usage of words over time. It is the premier dictionary for English literature students.

Glossaries of Literary Terms

Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
Unlimited users.
Provides the most comprehensive and authoritative reference for students, scholars, and poets on all aspects of its subject including history, movements, genres, prosody, rhetorical devices, and critical terms. This edition reflects recent changes in literary and cultural studies, providing up-to-date coverage and giving greater attention to the international aspects of poetry.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms
Unlimited users

Cambridge Companion Series

Cambridge Companion to Literature Series
Cambridge University Press's long-standing series, great for overviews and discovering top scholars in sub-fields.

NOTE: Some titles are in print; others as ebooks.