Poetry

Selected Resources

http://library.southalabama.edu	July 2006
(251) 460-7025	Jerry Wright

The following is a guide to library resources that may prove useful. It is not an exhaustive list; please consult a reference librarian for help in locating additional materials. webref@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

I. FINDING THAT POEM

A poem is not normally entered under its own title in library catalogs, except for long poems such as Beowulf. Ask yourself what you know about the poem. Do you know the title or author? Do you remember the first line? Are you looking for a poem on a certain subject or for a particular occasion?

You can do an author search on SOUTHcat (example: frost robert When the index is retrieved look for words such as "complete" or "collected" in the titles, or "poetry of" or "poems." However, there are many single-author books that give no title clues. You may just have to browse contents pages in books by the author to find the poem. Ask a reference librarian for assistance.

If searching the Catalog fails, there are some special finding aids listed below.

WEBSITES

A few examples are listed. Ask a reference librarian for further assistance.

American Verse Project. http://www.hti.umich.edu

Internet Poetry Archive. http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/

Modern American Poetry. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets.htm

PoemFinder. http://www.poemfinder.com

FINDING A WELL-KNOWN POEM

Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. Ref. Desk/Ref. PN 1022 .G7 The Columbia Granger's Index To Poetry in Collected & Selected Works. Ref. PN 1022 .C63 1996
Granger's Index To Poetry. Ref. PN 1022 .C63 1996: These index poems in anthologies(many authors). There is a title/first line index, and separate author and subject indexes. Library has several editions. Best bet: look at some of the early editions.
Last Lines: An Index To the Last Lines of Poetry. 2 vols.: Ref. PN 1022 .K55 1991
The Top 500 Poems. Ref. PR 1175 .C6417 1992: Not an index, this is a selection of poems noted in Granger's.
Women's Poetry Index. Ref. PN 1024 .G89 1985

FINDING A CONTEMPORARY POEM

Roth's American Poetry Annual. Ref. PS 580 .R674: A brief anthology of the year's work and a directory are followed by a unified index; Poems from both periodicals and collections were covered (1988-1990)
Index of American Periodical Verse. Ref. PN 1021 .I53: This annual publication indexes small press literary or "little magazines."
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. Ref. AI 3 .R48: Look under the heading "poems." Library has through 1999
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature Retrospective: Indexing only through 1982. Link through Articles, Indexes and Databases.
Humanities Index. Ref. AI 3 .H84 Use heading "poems." Through 1998.

Also try these catalog searches: poetry indexes (subject) and poetry and indexes (keyword)
Capitalization not necessary.

II. FINDING POETRY CRITICISM

Ask a Reference librarian for advice on selecting a database or print source to use.

WEBSITES

Literary Resources on the Net. Jack Lynch. http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit
VoS: Voice of the Shuttle. English Literature Main Page. http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=3

The following are subscription databases, and available only through the University Library home page.
Require a sign-on for authentication. On campus (the campus domain) most are available w/o password. Databases must be accessed through the Library homepage. Click on "Articles, Indexes, Databases."

Academic Search Premier (EBSCO): This is a general database which includes some scholarly literature journals, some full text.
Expanded Academic ASAP (InfoTrac): Another general database with some literary journals full text.
MLA Bibliography. (EBSCO): Online subscription database accessible through home page. Coverage of collected essays and journals on literature, language, and folklore. Comprehensive. No abstracts or full text. Print version available through 1997. Ref. Z 7006 .M64
Literature Resource Center: Accessible through Library home page. Go to Electronic Reference Books.

SOUTHcat SEARCH EXAMPLES

Subject:

English poetry explication bibliography

American poetry explication bibliography

English poetry history and criticism bibliography

American poetry history and criticism bibliography

Or just key in english poetry or american poetry. Select from the list of subheadings.

Keyword:

"frost robert" and criticism "american poetry" and criticism

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Questions (jwright@jaguar1.usouthal.edu) or call (251) 460-7025.
URL: http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/guides/poetry.htm
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Last updated: 11/29/06. ap