Literary Criticism for Students (and anyone else)
A guide to researching literary criticism online and at the library
Evaluating Online Sources
A guide to evaluating information using the CRAAP test put together by the Johnson & Wales University Library.
- Purdue OWL (Online Writing Center): Evaluating Print vs. Internet SourcesIn this section of Purdue OWL's guide to evaluating sources of information the focus is on what to look for when using Internet sites as part of your research process.
Online Open Courses
Some universities such as Yale, Harvard, and MIT have made selected courses, in different subject areas, available for free online. They are designed to appeal to high school and college students, teachers, and adults who wish to continue their education informally. Check out some of the literature courses available at the links below.
- Open CultureA comprehensive gateway site to the best free cultural and educational media on the Web including free courses, movies, language lessons, textbooks, and more. To access the literature courses, go to the Free Courses section and click on the literature heading.
- Open Yale CoursesOpen Yale Courses "provides free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University." To access the literature courses, click on the Courses tab and look under the following categories: American Studies, English, Italian Language & Literature, Spanish & Portuguese. Registration is not required.
Folger Digital Texts
The Folger Shakespeare Library provides free online access to Shakespeare's plays and poems through their Folger Digital Texts collection.
Online Texts: General
- Bartleby.comProvides full-text access to classic works of reference, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry including Strunk's Elements of Style, Bartlett's Familiary Quotations, and the Harvard Classics & Shelf of Fiction.
- The Boston Public Library at the Internet ArchiveAccess the books contributed by the Boston Public Library to the Internet Archive.
- Boston Public Library's Jordan CollectionSelections from Boston Public Liibrary's Jordan Collection, a research collection of children's literature, are available online here via the Internet Archive.
- HathiTrust Digital LibraryOver 100 major research institutions and libraries cooperate to preserve their collections in digital form and make them accessible worldwide.
- Internet ArchiveThe Internet Archive offers free access to over 7 million texts as well as videos, live music concerts, and audio recordings.
- Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg provides access to over 45,000 free eBooks covering topics from animals to warfare. The site includes material in Dutch, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
Google Scholar
- Google ScholarGoogle Scholar is a subset of Google that enables you to search for scholarly literature. It includes books, articles, theses, and more. Starting your Google Scholar search from the BPL Website will provide you with automatic access to subscription articles already paid for by the library. Look for the Full-Text@BPL link. A valid BPL library card is required for remote access.
Using Online Resources
The Internet is a rich resource for the student of literature. You can find general literature sites, or ones that specialize in a particular author, period, or genre; free open online courses to further your education; quick homework help; free online texts, and more. Anyone, however, can create a website. You can evaluate the resources found on the Internet using the CRAAP test. The test was originally developed by the Meriam Library, California State University, Chico. Briefly, the acronym stands for:
- Currency: Is the site up to date?
- Relevance: Is it relevant to your research? Is the material written at an appropriate level for your research needs?
- Authority: Has the site been created by a government agency or respected organization? The site's URL can help with establishing authority. Examples: .gov (U.S. government), .edu(educational), .org (nonprofit organization), .com(commercial)
- Accuracy: To your knowledge is the information accurate? Is there a review process for the material on the site?
- Purpose: Is the purpose of the site to educate, to sell, to entertain, or to promote?
Download a detailed guide to evaluating information using the CRAAP test or check out the Johnson & Wales University Library video in the Evaluating Online Sources section below.
General Resources
- The Cambridge History of English and American Literature: An Encyclopedia in Eighteen VolumesThe online version of a classic work, published between 1907-1921, covering major authors and movements in English and American literature from early times to the start of the twentieth century.
- Internet Public Library Special Collections: Literary CriticismThe ipl2 Literary Critiicism Collection contains links to critical and biographical websites about authors and their works that can be browsed by author, by title, and by nationality and literary period."
- Internet Public Library Special Collections: Literary Criticism PathfinderA how-to-guide to literary criticism from the Internet Public Library.
- The Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval StudiesA Georgetown University site devoted to all things medieval.
- LiteraryHistory.comThe primary focus is biographical and critical information on authors from the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Literary Resources on the NetProfessor Jack Lynch of Rutgers University's Newark campus has compiled this comprehensive list of sites dealing primarily with English and American literature.
- The Paris ReviewThe Paris Review started in the 1950s and features original work by the top writers of the day. Their Writers at Work interview series has in-depth interviews with famous writers going back through the decades such as Ian McEwan, Seamus Heaney, Joan Didion, Graham Green, Ralph Ellision, and more.
- Voice of the ShuttleA gateway site to humanities-related resources on the Internet maintained by the University of California, Santa Barbara's Alan Liu.
- Voices from the Gaps: Women Writers and Artists of ColorThis website, maintained by the English Department at the University of Minnesota, brings together information on women writers and artists of color from around the world.
American Literature
- AMST 246: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, FaulknerPart of the Open Yale Courses series, this course, by Professor Wai Chee Dimock, explores major works by Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner examining their connection to the history of the United States, world history, modernism, and more. There are 25 lectures. No registration is required. Course materials are available for download at the site and the video and audio components are available on YouTube and iTunes. Watch the video above for an introductory class.
- 19th Century American Literary Figures & Literary Texts OnlineA gateway site to internet resources on 19th century American literary figures and works.
- American AuthorsThis site, maintained by Donna Campbell, associate professor of English at Washington State University, provides a timeline of events in American history and literature, resources on American authors and literary movements, and a recommended list of American literature websites.
- Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writer s' Project, 1936-1938An online collection of 2,300 slave narratives with 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves from the Library of Congress.
- PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - An Ongoing Research and Reference GuideContains criticism and biographical information on 458 American authors organized by literary period.
British Literature
- Chaucer MetapageA site developed by a group of medievalists with the aim of promoting the study of Chaucer on the Web by organizing and enhancing the resources available.
- Early Modern Literary StudiesEarly Modern Literary Studies (EMLS) is a "refereed journal serving as a formal arena for scholarly discussion and as an academic resource for researchers in the area. Articles in EMLS examine English literature, literary culture and language during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries."
- Luminarium: Anthology of English LiteratureThis site provides full-text access to English Medieval, Renaissance, 17th Century, and Restoration works of literature, as well as essays and articles, links to additional resources, and recommended reading.
- Romantic CirclesRomantic Circles is a "refereed scholarly Website devoted to the study of Romantic-period literature and culture." It contains an archive of Romantic-era texts, peer-reviewed literary criticism, concordances, chronologies, audio files of poetry readings, and more.
- Victoria Research WebThe Victoria Research Web is "dedicated to the scholarly study of nineteenth-century Britain, and to aiding researchers, teachers, and students in their investigations of any and all aspects of this fascinating period."
- The Victorian WebA scholarly Website dedicated to the study of Victorian history and culture, including literature.
Shakespeare
- The Complete Works of ShakespeareThis MIT site provides the full text of Shakespeare's plays and poetry.
- The Folger Shakespeare LibraryThis major research library serves a wide audience including researchers, teachers, and students. Their publications include the scholarly journal, Shakespeare Quarterly (back issues are available in our JSTOR database); the Shakespeare Set Free books, a resource for teaching Shakespeare through performance; and the Folger Shakespeare Library editions. They also provide free online access to the Folger Shakespeare Library through their Folger Digital Texts collection.
- MIT Global Shakespeares Video & Performance ArchiveA collaborative project that provides "access to performances of Shakespeare from many parts of the world as well as essays and metadata by scholars and educators in the field."
- Shakespeare OnlineA comprehensive collection of links to Shakespeare on the Internet.
- Shakespeare UncoveredThis PBP series uses interviews with actors, directors, and scholars; clips from well-known productions; and individual hosts personal experience with Shakespeare's work to tell the "stories behind the stories of Shakespeare's greatest plays."
- Student Research CenterOn this easy-to-use site for students you can find a brief biography of Shakespeare, a guide to Shakespearean language, links to useful research sites, and more.
A fore-edged painting of Anne Hathaway's cottage
Poetry
- Modern American PoetryOriginally started as a companion website to the Anthology of Modern American Poetry, the site now contains a rich collection of biographies, critical essays, and images related to over 161 poets.
- Poetry FoundationThe mission of the Poetry Foundation - publisher of Poetry magazine - is to discover, and make available to as wide an audience as possible, the best in poetry.
- ITAL 310: Dante in TranslationThis introduction to Dante, by Professor Giuseppe Mazzotta, is part of the Open Yale Courses series. The course consists of 24 lectures. No registration is required. Course materials are available for download at the site and the video and audio components are available on YouTube and iTunes.
- Favorite Poem ProjectThe Favorite Poem Project was founded by Robert Pinsky, after he was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States in 1997. It is a collaboration between The Poetry Foundation, Boston University, and the Library of Congress. Check out their website for videos showcasing Americans talking about and reading their favorite poems, teacher resources, and more.
- Poets.orgA website sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting poets and contemporary poetry through programs such as National Poetry Month and their magazine, American Poets. You can find information about poets, full-text poems, sign up for their Poem-a-Day program, and find out about poetry events close to you, and more on the site.
Quick Homework Help
- CliffsNotesThe online version of the familiar print student study guides.
- Shmoop.comAnalytical articles on literature, science, math and more that use humor to engage.
- SparkNotesSparkNotes provides context; plot overviews; themes, motifs, and symbols; study questions; and more for commonly-studied texts. Their "No Fear" sections provide easy-to-understand, facing-page translations of classic works such as Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, and Shakespeare's plays and poems.