British Literature - Topic Guides - English and Language Arts - LibGuides at Pikes Peak Library District

Search Terms

Search terms are specific key words or phrases are necessary to find information in databases or the library catalog. We recommend:

British literature
Colonialism, Postcolonialism
Contemporary
Elizabethan
English Literature
Medieval, Medieval literature
Modernism
Renaissance

Search Strategies

You can use author names, titles of works, and literary devices (like metaphor, simile, and allegory) as search terms in databases
You can use these search terms to find books in the library catalog and eBooks or eAudiobooks in the eLibrary
To narrow your search, type two terms into a search bar in this format: "Term 1" AND "Term 2". This search will only provide resources that include both terms. Combine any two search terms from the box into a database search bar to see what you find.
Find more database search tips on the Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide, in the Database Search Tops box.

Standards and Knowledge Building

This guide is connected to the following Colorado Academic Standards

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively (CCSS: W.11-12.8)
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research (CCSS: W.11-12.9)

This guide will support students by building further knowledge in:

Different library resources – what they are and how they can be used to find information relevant to a British literature class
How to effectively find information in these sources using search terms

Contact

Mikaela Fortune

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Welcome to the British Literature Topic Guide!

Databases

Databases are subject-specific search engines that provide access to journal articles and other reliable resources. The following PPLD databases are recommended for students studying British literature:

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Searches almost 3500 full text academic and scholarly journals.
Explora for Public Libraries This link opens in a new window
Find articles and facts from the world’s leading magazines and reference books in one search.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Searches our entire collection of Gale eBooks on a variety of subjects, including history, science, government, business and more.
Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Includes biographical information on 122,000 authors and literary criticism on their works.

Reference materials are things like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide quick facts and summaries of different subjects. The following encyclopedias and dictionaries in the PPLD catalog support the study of British literature:

Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature by Merriam-Webster, Inc. (Created by)
Call Number: 803 M568 Reference
ISBN: 0877790426
Publication Date: 1995-04-01
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.
UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology
ISBN: 9781414430300
Publication Date: 2008-09-23
Entry topics include gods and goddesses; heroes and other key characters; motifs and global themes; major myths; and national or cultural mythologies. Coverage spans a diversity of cultures, including standard Greek/Roman entries as well as Native North and South American traditions, Norse mythology, Asian Pacific mythology, Judeo-Christian tradition, and Islamic and Hindu mythologies.

Reference materials are things like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide quick facts and summaries of different subjects. The following books in the PPLD catalog support the study of British literature:

30-Second Literature The 50 most important forms, genres and styles, each explained in half a minute by Ella Berthoud
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Whether you're looking for a new author or genre to explore, 30-Second Literature provides you with summaries of the major literary genres, styles and histories.
30-Second Shakespeare 50 Key Aspects of his Works, Life and Legacy, each explained in Half a Minute by Barber, Ros, and Mark Rylance
ISBN: 9781782402923
Publication Date: September 24, 2015
The bestselling 30-Second series takes a revolutionary approach to learning about those subjects you feel you should really understand. Each title selects a popular topic and dissects it into the 50 most significant ideas at its heart. Every idea, no matter how complex, is explained in 300 words and one image, all digestible in just 30 seconds. 30-Second Shakespeare uses this unique approach to grapple with the worlds most famous playwright. From what we know of his life and the intrigue of the authorship question, to uncoding the meanings of key concepts, themes and motifs, and the Bards extraordinary enduring literary and linguistic legacy.
English Literature A Very Short Introduction by Bate, Johnathan
ISBN: 9780191614293
Publication Date: December 22, 2017
Sweeping across two millennia and every literary genre, acclaimed scholar and biographer Jonathan Bate provides a dazzling introduction to English Literature. The focus is wide, shifting from the birth of the novel and the brilliance of English comedy to the deep Englishness of landscape poetry and the ethnic diversity of Britain's Nobel literature laureates.
The Longman Anthology of British Literature by David Damrosch; Heather Henderson; William Chapman Sharpe
Call Number: 820.8008 L865
ISBN: 0321067665
Publication Date: 1999-08-05
The Longman Compact Anthology of British Literature" is a concise and thoughtfully arranged survey of British literature for the one semester course.
Medieval Literature: a Very Short Introduction by Elaine Treharne
ISBN: 9780199668496
Publication Date: 2015-12-01
This Very Short Introduction provides a compelling account of the emergence of the earliest literature in Britain and Ireland, including English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Anglo-Latin and Anglo-Norman.

Explore (multimedia and recommended websites)

Recommended Websites
Multimedia

You can use trusted, online sources to find information. For more information on reliable, online sources, please visit PPLD’s Debate Issues & Paper Topics guide. PPLD recommends:

Crash Course
Quality, bite-sized educational videos on a variety of subjects, including literature, mythology, and theater. Videos are also available on YouTube. Recommended videos: How and why we read, Hamlet Parts 1 and 2, Pride and Prejudice Parts 1 and 2, Straight Outta Stratford-Upon-Avon: Shakespeare’s Early Days.
Purdue Online Writing Lab
Purdue OWL offers a variety of free resources that cover all aspects of writing, from grammar to citations.
Sparknotes
Sparknotes compiles infographics, summaries, and analysis of literary works. It also includes study guides, a glossary of literary terms, instructions for writing literary analyses, quizzes, and memes to make learning a little more fun.
TED ed
TED ed offers short, video based lessons on various authors, works, and myths that provide biographical and historical context to works in the British literature cannon and short, accessible explanations of literary devices and themes. TED ed also provides resources for students, educators, and parents, like guided discussions and quizzes.
more...less...
Recommended videos: The “Why should you read…” series (ex. Why should you read Charles Dickens?), The wicked wit of Jane Austen, Everything you need to know to read the Canterbury Tales, and Mining literature for deeper meanings
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a free library of over 70,000 ebooks. Do a quick author search to find works from Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, and more.

Use these multimedia sources to watch or listen to information on this topic.

The Great Courses (Literature).
A series of audio and video courses and documentaries on a variety of subjects, including British Literature. Look through the Literature courses to find documentaries and other resources on British authors.
Recommended Courses: The Brontës: Fantasy and Reality. The Victorian Age. The Romantic Age in English Literature. How to read and Understand Shakespeare. This video is accessible through Kanopy in the PPLD eLibrary.

Classics of British Literature by John Sutherland
Publication Date: July 8, 2008
This series of 48 fascinating lectures by an award-winning professor provides you with a rare opportunity to step beyond the surface of Britain's grand literary masterpieces and experience the times and conditions they came from and the diverse issues with which their writers grappled.