Homework & Research->Homework Help->Literature->Sample Research Topic
Question: Where do I find criticism about the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks, and how do I use it in a paper?
Answer: Let’s consider your second question first. Literary criticism provides insights into the author’s works. It helps us understand and interpret the meaning of poetry and prose alike. Criticism can be used to compare and contrast different stages of the author’s own works or the author’s works and that of someone else. Criticism may also provide clues to the historical background of the times during which a work was written as well as biographical information about the author.
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You'll always want to develop your own ideas about a work and let criticism support your opinions. |
Research: You’ll find a wealth of resources on the library shelves. The Encyclopedia of American Literature, the Bloomsbury Guide to Women’s Literature, and World Authors all offer overviews of the author’s life and works. Black Literature Criticism provides excerpts from essays by critics written at different times in the author’s career, and Modern Women Writers includes short commentaries written by literary critics about the author’s works. Further in-depth research is available in Critical Survey of Poetry, Poetry for Students and Poetry Criticism.
Search the library Catalog for criticism written specifically about the author. Select Subject from the TCCL Catalog menu then enter the author’s surname (last name) first and the first name last. In this case you would enter brooks gwendolyn. Choose Criticism and Interpretation from the returned options and you'll find a list of books available at libraries around the system.
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Look for bibliographies at the end of articles and books about an author. These lists (sometimes referred to as Further Reading) may furnish you with new paths to explore! |
GaleNet is an online resource for Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Dictionary of Literary Biography and Twayne’s Authors Series. All of the GaleNet databases are available from any Tulsa library computer and from an internet-connected home computer. And don’t forget to check out the Literature section of our Online Research Center, which is also available from home!
If TCCL doesn’t have books and other materials you need for your paper you can Interlibrary Loan them, which means we borrow them from another library system for you. If you choose to do this, request the materials as soon as possible because it sometimes takes several weeks for them to come in.
Once you have all materials for your paper, it’s time to start writing. If you need some help the library has many writing manuals; the Primary Source Page lists a few of them and there are several Writing pathfinders you might find useful as well.
If you have any questions, contact your local library or ask a librarian!