LibGuides: English Literature: Dictionaries &amp; encyclopedias

Dictionaries of Literary Terms

Struggling with the distinction between structuralism and post-structuralism? How is a metaphor different from a simile? Dictionaries of literary terms are invaluable for concise explanations of the specialized language of literary scholarship.

A Glossary of Literary Terms by M. H. (M. H. Abrams) Abrams; Geoffrey G. Harpham
First published in 1957, this book contains succinct essays on the terms used in discussing literature, literary history, and literary criticism. This text is a classic and indispensable reference for students.
A Multicultural Dictionary of Literary Terms by Gary Carey; Mary Ellen Snodgrass
This dictionary of literary terms provides the researcher with definitions, explanations, and models of the styles and forms of works of literature. Along with novel, tone, tragedy,and scansion are haiku, noh, griot,and other terms that derive from works long undervalued by the literary world. The examples come from a very broad field of authors-reflecting a spirit of inclusion of all people, races and literary traditions.
Routledge Dictionary of literary terms (ebook) by Peter Childs and Roger Fowler
Access restricted to York University faculty, staff and students.

Encyclopedias and Bibliographies

Specialized scholarly encyclopedias are useful for acquiring basic background information on a topic and are valuable places to start your research. Unlike Wikipedia, these encyclopedias are written, reviewed, and edited by academic experts. Consulting an encyclopedia in the early stages of your research can help you define your key terms, situate your topic in its wider scholarly context, find related fields of inquiry, and even locate important works of research that may be contained in the bibliographies at the end of each entry. What follows is a list of general literary encyclopedias and bibliographies- but be sure to sure the library catalogue for more specific encyclopedias by period (e.g. Modernist), geography (e.g. Canadian literature), genre (e.g. science fiction), form (e.g. the novel) or even by major author (e.g James Joyce).

Oxford Reference Online: Literature by Oxford University Press
Oxford Reference Online brings together language and subject reference works from one of the world's biggest reference publishers into a single cross-searchable resource. Amongst other items, it contains the Oxford English Dictionary, the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, A Dictionary of Shakespeare, and companions to African American Literature, American Literature, Irish Literature, English Literature, 20th Century Poetry, and Classical Literature.
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism
The Guide consists of 241 alphabetically arranged entries on individual critics and theorists, critical and theoretical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods. It also treats figures who did not explicitly deal with, but who still deeply affected, literature, literary theory, or literary criticism, as well as figures and kinds of inquiry from other fields that have been shaped by or have themselves shaped literary theory and criticism.
Literature Resource Center
A literature reference database containing biographical, bibliographical, and critical content. Provides information on literary figures writing in such genres as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, history, journalism, and more. The information is compiled from Contemporary Authors Online, Contemporary Literary Criticism Select, and Dictionary of Literary Biography Online. Covers all time periods.
Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century by Steven R. Serafin (Editor)
The Encyclopedia contains more than 2,000 signed entries on individual authors, approximately 50 national survey entries that review literature from around the world, more than 50 entries that discuss genres, movements and trends in literature, and many encyclopedic entries on miscellaneous topics.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism by Stephen Ross (Editor)
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism launched on May 9th 2016 and is the largest and most comprehensive resource available for all those involved in the study of modernism.

An accessible and intuitive online platform, Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism brings together a wealth of interdisciplinary content about the Modernist period, and is the ideal starting point for any research in modernism.

With over 1,000 articles from experts in the field, supported by over 100 images, Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism is a vital tool for students and researchers. The content is fully cross-referenced, allowing for greater discoverability between fields, and covers eight key subject areas: Literature, Architecture, Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, Film, and Intellectual Currents. Researchers can browse by subject, movement, or place in order to discover connections between key topics and fields.
Oxford Bibliographies - Victorian Literature by Juliet John
Publication Date: 2011-
Oxford Bibliographies - American Literature by Jackson R. Bryer
Publication Date: 2012-
Oxford Bibliographies - British and Irish Literature by Andrew Hadfield
Publication Date: 2012-

Language Dictionaries

Oxford English Dictionary
The most comprehensive dictionary of the English language ever produced. Includes definitions, quotations, and full etymologies. All are searchable.

Language dictionaries give brief definitions of unfamiliar words, phrases, and acronyms.

The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories by Glynnis Chantrell (Editor)
ISBN: 0198631219
Describes the origins and sense development of thousands of core words of the English language; dates are given where recorded evidence of use has been found sourced by the ongoing research for the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying, and Quotation by Susan Ratcliffe (Editor)
ISBN: 0198662696
This edition brings together words from across the centuries on a broad range of subjects, from Absence to Youth. New themes such as Computers and the Internet ('It's not a bug, it's a feature') have been added, and coverage of traditional topics has been extended.