LibGuides: English: Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Handbooks

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
With 600,000 words, 3 million quotations; and over 1000 years of English, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. Terms of Use.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms by Chris Baldick This dictionary provides succinct and often witty explanations of over one thousand potentially troublesome terms encountered in the study of literature, from absurd to zeugma, from the ancient dithyramb to the contemporary dub poetry, from the popular bodice-ripper to the aristocratic masque. While it is fully up to date with the terminologies of deconstruction and other modern schools of literary theory, it also offers extensive coverage of traditional drama, versification, rhetoric, and literary history. Literary schools from Alexandrianism to Transcendentalism are included, along with dozens of terms from languages other than English. Adjectival forms and other derived words are displayed, and simple pronunciation guides are given for over two hundred difficult terms, making this thoroughly cross-referenced dictionary the most helpful of its kind for all readers of literature.
Call Number: PN41 .C67 1991
ISBN: 0192828932
Publication Date: 1992-06-04
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Modern Criticism and Theory by Julian Wolfreys (Editor) The Continuum Encyclopedia of Modern Criticism and Theory offers the student and scholar of literary and cultural studies the most comprehensive, single volume guide to the history and development of modern criticism in the humanities. In a clearly organized format, this major reference work takes the reader through introductions to historically influential philosophers, literary critics, schools of thought and movements from Spinoza and Descartes to Phenomenology and Heidegger, before turning to its three principal areas of critical attention: Europe, North America and Great Britain.
ISBN: 0826414141
Publication Date: 2002-04-10
Encyclopedia of Literature and Criticism One by Routledge, Chapman, Hall Inc. Staff
Call Number: PR85 .E49 1991
ISBN: 0810383314
Publication Date: 1990-11-01
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions by Merriam-Webster, Inc. Staff (Editor); Elizabeth Webber; Mike Feinsilber
Call Number: PN43 W384 1999
ISBN: 0877796289
Publication Date: 1999-09-01
Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable by Elizabeth Knowles (Editor) What is a ham-and-egger?What are Anglo-Saxon attitudes?Who first tried to nail jelly to the wall?The answers to these and many more questions are in this fascinating book. Here in one volume you can track down the stories behind the names and sayings you meet, whether in classic literature or today's news. This authoritative dictionary draws on Oxford's unrivalled bank of reference and languageonline resources to cover classical and other mythologies, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture. Extensive cross referencing makes it easy to trace specific information, while every page points to further paths to explore.What is the fog of war?Who first wanted to spend more time with one's family?When was the Dreamtime?How long since the first cry of Women and children first?Where might you find dark matter?Would you want the Midas touch?Should you worry about grey goo?
Call Number: PN43 .O85 2005
ISBN: 9780198609810
Publication Date: 2005-11-17
The Oxford Handbook of Tudor Drama by Thomas Betteridge (Editor); Greg Walker (Editor) The Oxford Handbook of Tudor Drama is the authoritative secondary text on Tudor drama. It both integrates recent important research across different disciplines and periods and sets a new agenda for the future study of Tudor drama, questioning a number of the central assumptions of previous studies. Balancing the interests and concerns of scholars in theater history, drama, and literary studies, its scope reflects the broad reach of Tudor drama as a subject, inviting readers to see the Tudor century as a whole, rather than made up of artificial and misleading divisions between "medieval" and "renaissance," religious and secular, pre- and post-Shakespeare. The contributors, both the established leaders in their fields and the brightest young scholars, attend to the contexts, intellectual, theatrical and historical within which drama was written, produced and staged in this period, and ask us to consider afresh this most vital and complex of periods in theater history. The book is divided into four sections: Religious Drama; Interludes and Comedies; Entertainments, Masques, and Royal Entries; and Histories and Political Dramas.
Call Number: PR647 .O96 2015
ISBN: 9780198715566
Publication Date: 2016-02-17
The Poet's Dictionary by William Packard This handbook defines the tools, terms, and techniques of poetry. Arranged alphabetically from "accent" to "zeugma," The Poets Dictionary is clear, superb, and complete.
Call Number: PN44.5 .P3 1994
ISBN: 0062720457
Publication Date: 1994-07-08
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics by Roland Greene (Editor-In-Chief); Stephen Cushman (Editor); Clare Cavanagh (Editor); Jahan Ramazani (Editor); Paul Rouzer (Editor) The most important poetry reference for more than four decades--now fully updated for the twenty-first century Through three editions over more than four decades, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics has built an unrivaled reputation as the most comprehensive and authoritative reference for students, scholars, and poets on all aspects of its subject: history, movements, genres, prosody, rhetorical devices, critical terms, and more. Now this landmark work has been thoroughly revised and updated for the twenty-first century. Compiled by an entirely new team of editors, the fourth edition--the first new edition in almost twenty years--reflects recent changes in literary and cultural studies, providing up-to-date coverage and giving greater attention to the international aspects of poetry, all while preserving the best of the previous volumes. At well over a million words and more than 1,000 entries, the Encyclopedia has unparalleled breadth and depth. Entries range in length from brief paragraphs to major essays of 15,000 words, offering a more thorough treatment--including expert synthesis and indispensable bibliographies--than conventional handbooks or dictionaries. This is a book that no reader or writer of poetry will want to be without. Thoroughly revised and updated by a new editorial team for twenty-first-century students, scholars, and poets More than 250 new entries cover recent terms, movements, and related topics Broader international coverage includes articles on the poetries of more than 110 nations, regions, and languages Expanded coverage of poetries of the non-Western and developing worlds Updated bibliographies and cross-references New, easier-to-use page design Fully indexed for the first time
Call Number: PN1021 .N39 2012
ISBN: 9780691154916
Publication Date: 2012-08-26

Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature by Mary Ellen Brown (Editor); Bruce A. Rosenberg (Editor) This work is an award winning compendium of authors, concepts, motifs, characters, themes, works, and movements associated with folklore and literature from around the world. Long before the written word existed, humans expressed themselves by telling stories. Handed down through centuries, these stories were woven into the tapestry of everyday life. For close to three centuries, folklore has inspired adaptations to film, operas, ballets, short stories, novels, and poetry. Its no surprise, then, that many folklore scholars consider folklore as original literature--existing before written literature. Most folklorists seem to share the belief that folklore, whether drawn from oral observation or from the written record, is a rich cultural resource that is readily available to creative writers and other artists. The Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature introduces readers to a selection of authors, characters, themes, works, and movements associated with folklore and literature from around the world. This authoritative work also includes cross-references, an informative introduction, a bibliography, and an index. Students, librarians, and folklore and literary scholars and researchers will welcome this encyclopedia as an essential addition to any reference collection.
Call Number: PN41 .E48 1998
ISBN: 1576070034
Publication Date: 1998-09-02
Encyclopedia of Literature and Criticism One by Routledge, Chapman, Hall Inc. Staff
Call Number: PR85 .E49 1991
ISBN: 0810383314
Publication Date: 1990-11-01
Encyclopedia of Rhetoric by Thomas O. Sloane (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Rhetoric is a comprehensive survey of the latest research--as well as the foundational teachings--in this broad field. Featuring 150 original, signed articles by leading scholars from many different fields of study it brings together knowledge from classics, philosophy,literature, literary theory, cultural studies, speech and communications.The Encyclopedia surveys basic concepts (speaker, style and audience); elements; genres; terms (fallacies, figures of speech); and the rhetoric of non-Western cultures and cultural movements. It covers rhetoric as the art of proof and persuasion; as the language of public speech andcommunication; and as a theoretical approach and critical tool used in the study of literature, art, and culture at large, including new forms of communication such as the internet.The Encyclopedia is the most wide ranging reference work of its kind, combining theory, history, and practice, with a special emphasis on public speaking, performance and communication. Cross-references, bibliographies after each article, and synoptic and topical indexes further enhance the work.Written for students, teachers, scholars and writers the Encyclopedia of Rhetoric is the definitive reference work on this powerful discipline.
Call Number: PN172 .E52 2001
ISBN: 0195125959
Publication Date: 2001-08-02
Encyclopedia of the Novel by Paul Schellinger (Editor) First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Call Number: PN41 .E487 1998
ISBN: 1579580157
Publication Date: 1998-11-01
The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Literature
Call Number: Electronic book
ISBN: 9781423711353
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature by Merriam-Webster, Inc. (Created by) A rich source of information about the world's finest literature. Over 10,000 entries and 250 illustrations covering authors, works, and literary terms and topics from all eras and all parts of the world. Includes pronunciations.
Call Number: PN41 .M42 1995
ISBN: 0877790426
Publication Date: 1995-04-01

A Handbook to Literature by William Harmon; Clarence Hugh Holman; William Flint Thrall For undergraduate/graduate-level literature courses.This comprehensive text is the definitive reference text on literature and literary criticism in English. The text itself is an alphabetical listing of the terms that pertain to literature in English. Now in its eighth edition, it has been used by more than one million students.
Call Number: PN41 .H355 2000
ISBN: 0130127310
Publication Date: 1999-07-15
Harper Handbook to Literature by Northrup Frye; Sheridan Baker; George Perkins Arranged alphabetically for easy reference, Harper Handbook to Literature, 2/e, offers comprehensive and accessible coverage of literary terms, concepts, genres, and movements.
Call Number: PN41 .F75 1997
ISBN: 9780673999436
Publication Date: 1997-01-07
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism by Michael Groden (Editor); Martin Kreiswirth (Editor); Imre Szeman (Editor) Selected by ChoiceMagazine as an Outstanding Academic Title The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticismhas become the indispensable resource for scholars and students of literary theory and discourse. The long-awaited second edition includes 48 new entries and subentries and has been revised throughout, taking account of ten years of rapidly changing scholarship. While concentrating on the explosion of contemporary critical and theoretical works, the Guidepresents a comprehensive historical survey of ideas and individuals ranging from Plato and Aristotle to twentieth-century scholars. It includes more than 240 alphabetically arranged entries on critics and theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods. It also examines developments in other disciplines which have shaped literary theory and criticism. An international, encyclopedic guide to the field's most important figures, schools, and movements, the new edition reflects the state of literary theory and criticism.
Call Number: PN81 .J554 2005
ISBN: 0801880106
Publication Date: 2004-12-10
A New Handbook of Literary Terms by David Mikics A New Handbook of Literary Terms offers a lively, informative guide to words and concepts that every student of literature needs to know. Mikics’s definitions are essayistic, witty, learned, and always a pleasure to read. They sketch the derivation and history of each term, including especially lucid explanations of verse forms and providing a firm sense of literary periods and movements from classicism to postmodernism. The Handbook also supplies a helpful map to the intricate and at times confusing terrain of literary theory at the beginning of the twenty-first century: the author has designated a series of terms, from New Criticism to queer theory, that serves as a concise but thorough introduction to recent developments in literary study. Mikics’s Handbook is ideal for classroom use at all levels, from freshman to graduate. Instructors can assign individual entries, many of which are well-shaped essays in their own right. Useful bibliographical suggestions are given at the end of most entries. The Handbook’s enjoyable style and thoughtful perspective will encourage students to browse and learn more. Every reader of literature will want to own this compact, delightfully written guide.
Call Number: PN41 .M48 2007
ISBN: 9780300106367
Publication Date: 2007-06-01
The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism by John McGowan; T. Denean Sharpley-whitin; Vincent B. Leitch; William E. Cain; Laurie A. Finke The gold standard anthology for anyone who wants to understand the development and current state of literary theory. Offering 191 pieces by 157 authors, The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism, Third Edition, is more comprehensive and more varied in its selection than any other anthology. Forty-eight NEW selections--concentrated mostly on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries--make the book not only the best overview of the history of theory, but also a remarkably up-to-date portrait of the state of theory today.
Call Number: PN81 .J554 2005
ISBN: 9780393602951
Publication Date: 2018-06-11