Poetry
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Poetry is literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm.
Locating Works of Poetry
You can browse poetry at any VPL location by heading straight to the following call numbers in the non-fiction section: 821 (English), 831 (German), 841 (French), 851 (Italian), 861 (Spanish), 871-874 (Latin), 881-884 (Classical Greek). For poems originally written in other languages or by authors hailing from other countries, it is best to search the catalogue directly.
If a specific copy of a poem is not available, remember it might be available in a collection or anthology. Here are some tips for locating poems in a collection or anthology:
- Perform a keyword search in our catalogue and enter the title and author of the poem.
- If you cannot find the poem in the library's catalogue, try using The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry to locate poems published in anthologies or collections.
- Try Google - some poems are available in digitized format.
- Gale Literary Index - A master index to the major literature products published by Gale. It combines and cross-references over 165,000 author names, including pseudonyms and variant names, and listings for over 215,000 titles into one source. Search by author for prime results.
Finding Literary Criticism
For major poets, such as Robert Burns or T.S. Eliot, the library may have books of criticism about their poems. Search for the poet's name in the catalogue by subject and add the phrase Criticism and Interpretation.
e.g. Robert Burns Criticism and Interpretation
If an entire book has been written about a poem, such as T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, you may find it at the library. Search for the poet's name in the catalogue by subject and include the title of the poem.
e.g. T.S. Eliot Waste Land
