How to Find Poetry

1. The first place to look is in the MCC Online Catalog. Type in the poet's
    last name as the AUTHOR. Books of poetry by the poet will be listed.
   Also try searching for the name of a specific poem as a basic keyword search. A list of books containing that poem may appear.

2. Poetry by different poets is often collected and published together in an anthology. The following sources give the titles of books which contain particular poems:

   The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry (Ref PN 1022 .H39)

   Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Collected and Selected Works (City Ref PN 1022 .C63)

   Chicorel Index to Poetry in Anthologies and Collections in Print (Ref PN 1021 .C45)

   The Columbia Granger's Index to African-American Poetry (Ref PS 153 .N5 C683)

   Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Anthologies (City Ref PN 1022 .H39)

3. Also try searching in the following periodical indexes and/or online databases:

• Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature - On the Index tables in Reference in the LeRoy V. Good (LVG) Library; look under the poet's last name or under the subject "poems" for a specific title. This index is also available online; from the Libraries' website (www.monroecc.edu/go/library), click Find Articles and Online Databases, then choose Reader's Guide Retrospective.
  If off-campus, click "Access from Home" and follow directions to log-in to EZproxy.

• Humanities Index - In Reference in the LVG Library; look under the poet's last name or under the subject "poems" for a specific title.

• LitFinder - An electronic database which provides the
  full-text of select poems. From the Libraries' website(www.monroecc.edu/go/library), click Find Articles and Online
  Databases, then choose LitFinder. If off-campus, click "Access from Home" and follow directions to log-in to EZproxy.

Back to Top

How to Find Poetry Criticism and Interpretation

1. For some poets, there may be entire books of critical and/or
   explanatory essays discussing the poet's work. To find these,
   search MCC's Online Catalog on the poet's name and "criticism
   and interpretation" (ex., Keats and criticism and interpretation).

2. Look under the poet's last name or the title of the poem in:
   • Critical Survey of Poetry, English Language Series
     (Ref PN 1021 .C7 and City Ref PR502 .C85) – Entries include critical essay and bibliography of a poet’s works as well as some biographical information.

   • Masterplots II: Poetry Series (Ref PN 1110.5 .M37 and City Ref PN1110.5 .M37) – Explanatory essays include discussion of meaning, theme and technique.

   • Poetry for Students (Ref PN 1111 .P64) – Includes a discussion of meaning and theme, critical essays and the placement of the poem in its historical context.

   • Contemporary Literary Criticism (Ref PN 771 .C59) – Includes criticisms of works by poets as well as other creative writers.

   • Contemporary Poet's (Ref PR603 .C6 and City Ref PR603 .C6) Entries include critical essay as well as historical information.

3. Search for the poet's last name or the title of the poem in one of the online
   databases. From the Libraries' website (www.monroecc.edu/go/library), click on Find Articles and Online Databases, then choose one of the following. If off-campus, click "Access from Home" and follow directions to log-in to EZproxy.

    4.   Analysis of types, theories, themes, techniques or the history of poetry
          can be found in the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
          (Ref PN 1021 .P7). However, it is not designed for obtaining information
          on individual poets or poems.

Any questions? Ask the Librarian at the Information/Reference Desk for help.

L. Annesi, Revised 3/2008, http://www.monroecc.edu/go/library

Back to Top