Poetry - 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:

Beat Poetry
Experimental Poetry
Modern Poetry
Slam poetry
Poetry Analysis
Poetic technique
Women poets
Imagery (literature)

Search Strategies

You can use the names of poets, types of poems (sonnet, haiku), and literary devices (imagery, metaphor, simile) 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

Analyze traditional and contemporary literary texts with scrutiny and comparison of literary elements.
Interpret and evaluate complex literature using various critical reading strategies.
Understand how language influences the comprehension of narrative, argumentative, and informational texts.

This guide will support students by building further knowledge in:

Library resources – what they are and how they can be used to find information relevant to the study of poetry.
How to effectively find information in these sources using search terms.
Use databases, eBooks, and other electronic resources to inform and enhance understanding of poetry.

Contact

Mikaela Fortune

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5550 N. Union Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO
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Welcome to the Poetry 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 poetry:

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.
Poetry & Short Story Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Poetry & Short Story Reference Center is a full-text database containing thousands of classic and contemporary poems, short stories, biographies, essays, lesson plans and learning guides. It also includes high-quality videos and audio recordings from the Academy of American Poets.
Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Includes biographical information on 122,000 authors and literary criticism on their works.
Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
Biography includes over 5,000 portal pages on contemporary and historical figures, including authors and poets. Reference content is offered alongside videos, audio selections, images, primary sources, and magazine and journal articles from hundreds of major periodicals and newspapers.

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 poetry:

The Columbia Granger's® Dictionary of Poetry Quotations by Edith Hazen (Editor)
Call Number: 808.881 C726 Reference
ISBN: 0231075464
Publication Date: 1992-07-21
Provides key word and subject indexes to a collection of the most memorable lines written by the best British and American poets.
Poetry for Students by Gale Research Inc.
Call Number: 809.1 P7453 V.15
Publication Date: 2022-2023
This 56 volume set presents analysis, context and criticism on commonly studied poetry.
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)
Call Number: 808.103 P957 2012 Reference
ISBN: 9780691133348
Publication Date: 2012-08-26
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.
Twentieth-Century and Contemporary American Literature in Context [4 Volumes] by Linda De Roche (Editor)
Call Number: 810.9005 TWEN V.1
ISBN: 9781440853586
Publication Date: 2021-06-04
Covers American literature from 1900 to the present. Provides an overview of authors, their works, and of literary movements and genres, which offers an understanding of the historical, cultural, and political contexts that have shaped American writing.This book is also available digitally through the GALE Virtual Reference Library.

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 poetry:

Don't Read Poetry by Stephanie Burt
Call Number: 811.009 BURT
ISBN: 9780465094509
Publication Date: 2019-05-21
In Don't Read Poetry, award-winning poet and literary critic Stephanie Burt offers an accessible introduction to the seemingly daunting task of reading, understanding, and appreciating poetry.
Leave This Song Behind by John Meyer; Stephanie Meyer; Adam Halwitz
ISBN: 9780757318962
Publication Date: 2016-04-26
Leave This Song Behind features the best poetry submitted by teen writers to Teen Ink.
Rules for the dance : a handbook for writing and reading metrical verse by Mary Oliver
Call Number: 821.009 O48R
ISBN: 039585086X
Publication Date: 1991
Pulitzer-prize winning poet and National Book Award winner, Mary Oliver, provides a graceful manual on the mechanics of poetical composition. Poets and those who simply want to understand poetry will enjoy this study of poetry as a conscious craft.
What Is Poetry?: the Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems by Michael Rosen; Jill Calder (Illustrator)
Call Number: 808.1 ROSE
ISBN: 9781536201598
Publication Date: 2019-01-08
Over many years as a working poet, Michael Rosen has thought a great deal about what poems are, what they can do and the pleasure that comes from writing and reading poetry. In this invaluable handbook, he shares this knowledge and experience in book form for the very first time.
Why Poetry by Matthew Zapruder
Call Number: 809.1 ZAPR
ISBN: 9780062343079
Publication Date: 2017-08-15
In Why Poetry, award-winning poet Matthew Zapruder takes on what it is that poetry--and poetry alone--can do. Zapruder argues that the way we have been taught to read poetry is the very thing that prevents us from enjoying it. In lively, lilting prose, he shows us how that misunderstanding interferes with our direct experience of poetry and creates the sense of confusion or inadequacy that many of us feel when faced with it.
Write a Poem, Save Your Life by Meredith Heller; Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge (Foreword by)
Call Number: 808.1 HELL
ISBN: 9781608687480
Publication Date: 2021-05-04
Write a Poem, Save Your Life helps writers of all ages and experience levels navigate their way through all aspects of life. With writing prompts, tools, encouragement, and moving student examples, Meredith Heller gently guides us in the art of using poetry to figure out who we are and what matters to us and to heal the deeper issues many of us face, such as depression, addiction, health and body image issues, low self-esteem, trauma, gender and sexual identity issues, and home and family problems.

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:

Button Poetry
Button produces and distributes poetry media, including: video from local and national events, chapbooks, collaborative audio recordings, scholarship and criticism, and many other products. They also have a large variety of performance poetry available to watch for free on YouTube.
Glossary of Poetic Terms
This glossary from The Poetry Foundation provides definitions and examples of every poetic term you can think of, from Abecedarian to Zeugma.
Hear Hear Poetry
"Hear Here exists to activate and amplify youth voices by digging deep and planting seeds for poetry to grow. We encourage people to actively listen, write, and share by providing high-quality access to written and performance poetry events and education. Through online workshops, school projects, community programs, and friendly slam competitions, we engage poetry as a life-long skill to enjoy."
Ours Poetica
A YouTube channel in which various authors and other public figures read poems. Making poetry personal, in the hands of people who love it. Produced in collaboration with The Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/
Poetry 719
"Poetry719 is a community poetry organization in Colorado Springs that fosters and supports the freedom of expression through the written and spoken word."
Poetry for Teens
"If you’re a teen looking to learn more about the art of reading or writing poetry, we’ve gathered a selection of poems, essays, recommended reading lists, must-have anthologies, interviews, and advice just for you."
The Poetry Foundation
From their about page: "The Poetry Foundation recognizes the power of words to transform lives. We work to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry."
Teen Ink
A website and national teen magazine devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos, and forums. For over 33 years, Teen Ink has offered teens the opportunity to publish their creative work and opinions on issues that affect their lives – everything from love and family to school, current events, and self-esteem. Hundreds of thousands of students, aged 13-19, have submitted their work to us and we have published more than 55,000 teens since 1989.

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

The pleasure of poetic pattern - David Silverstein
David Silverstein describes what poetic repetition is and why it works.
The Art of the Metaphor
How do metaphors help us better understand the world? And, what makes a good metaphor? Explore these questions with writers like Langston Hughes and Carl Sandburg, who have mastered the art of bringing a scene or emotion to life.
Before I Got My Eye Put Out - The Poetry of Emily Dickinson: Crash Course English Literature #8
In which John Green teaches you about the poetry of Emily Dickinson.
The Poetry of Sylvia Plath: Crash Course Literature 216
In which John Green teaches you about the poetry of Sylvia Plath.
Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance: Crash Course Literature 215
In which John Green teaches you about the poetry of Langston Hughes.