LibGuides: UIL Literary Criticism: Literary Criticism Resources

Why can't I find it on Google?

Using Google for searches is fast, fun and usually gives you tons of results. However, when you are searching for specific critical articles about works of literature, you will discover that using online databases is a better way to find exactly what you need. Often, the articles you need are only available for a fee; because you are a VHS student, you can access these articles for free from our online subscription databases. In some cases, your teacher will require you to use database resources only, so this is another good reason for learning how to find articles within the resources provided by your school library.

When you do locate criticism resources using Google, make sure that the article you decide to use is not someone's opinion (like a blog or wiki) but is instead actual factual information backed up by research and citations.~Lori Franklin, Olathe East High School.

Library Resources

We have lots of resources available to help you.

First off you must know what literary criticism is –“the evaluative or interpretive work written by professional interpreters of texts. It is ‘criticism’ not because it is negative or corrective, but rather because those who write criticism ask hard, analytical, crucial, or 'critical' questions about the works they read" (Norton’s Anthology).

Literary criticism is NOT found on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Wikipedia, or Spark Notes, etc.

JSTOR JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
Artemis Literature Artemis Literary Sources integrates full-text literary content with metadata and subject indexing and provides workflow tools to analyze information. You can research authors and their works, literary movements and genres. Search across your library's Literature databases to find full text of literary works, journal articles, literature criticism, reviews, biographical information and overviews.
Literature Criticism Online (Gale) Gale™ takes literature, history and culture to the next level with the largest, most extensive compilation of literary commentary available: Literature Criticism Online. Includes centuries of analysis - the scholarly and popular commentary from broadsheets, pamphlets, encyclopedias, books and periodicals - delivered in an easy-to-use 24/7 online format that matches the exact look and feel of the print originals.
Literature Resource Center (Gale) Full-text articles from scholarly journals and literary magazines are combined with critical essays, work and topic overviews, full-text works, biographies, and more to provide a wealth of information on authors, their works, and literary movements. Researchers at all levels will find the information they need, with content covering all genres and disciplines, all time periods and all parts of the world.
Literary Reference Center This rich full-text database provides a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes. It gives students, professors and researchers a foundation of literary reference works to meet their research needs.
Twayne's Authors Online (Gale) The acclaimed Twayne’s Authors Online series of literary criticism offers in-depth introductions to the lives and works of writers, the history and influence of literary movements, and the development of literary genres.
Biography in Context Biography In Context offers authoritative reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images. Covering a vast array of people from historically significant figures to present-day newsmakers, it’s continuously updated to ensure that students have access to the very latest information.
Gale Virtual Reference Library eBooks from Gale and premier partners including ISTE, ASCD, ABC-CLIO, DK, and Encyclopedia Britannica to support the K-12 core curriculum with GVRL.