2. Finding Information on Poets

Biographies are the best place to start if you are looking for information about poets. Below are a range of print and online resources. You may first want to consult the Biographies Master Index.

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Twentieth-Century Author Biographies Master Index (Z 5304. A8 783 1984)
Index of the biographies of 170,000 writers including many poets. Compiled from over 100 dictionaries, handbooks and encyclopedia including Contemporary Authors and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.

Who’s Who in Twentieth Century World Poetry (PN 1271. W46 2002)
Brief A-Z biographies of the most important world poets of the century. Besides the major figures there are more unorthodox choices such as Linton Kwesi Johnson and Leonard Cohen. First published in 2000, this is a valuable record of the entire century.

Contemporary Poets (PR 603. C6 2001)
Focus is on twentieth century poetry written in English. Included with each entry is a biography, a list of their published work, and an essay on each. Published in one volume of 1,500 pages. Entries are arranged alphabetically with excellent indexes by poet nationality and poem title.

Contemporary Women Poets (PS 151. C67 1998)
Biographical information on around 250 women poets. Each entry includes list of publications, comments from the author, and a short evaluation of their work. Very good source for information on women that may not otherwise be found in general biography volumes.

Reader’s Guide to 50 American Poets (PS 303. J63 1980)            
Features 2-3 page essays on prominent American poets including Whitman, Longfellow and Ginsberg. Biographical and bibliographical information included for each figure. Although published in 1980 still a good introductory source to the major US poets.

The Cambridge History of American Literature (PS 92. C34 1994)
Volume 8 of the series is dedicated to Poetry and Criticism. Biographies of poets are a major feature. Also included is an essay on U.S. poetry, a chronology from 1940 to 1995 and a bibliography of books on American verse.

A William Butler Yeats Encyclopedia (PR 5906. M44 1997)
Excellent companion to the poems of the Irish writer. Gives an A-Z of poems, concepts and other poet’s names. Very comprehensive index included as well as a chronology of Yeats’ life. Selected bibliography covers reference material, collected works, letters, biography and criticism.

Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia (PS 3230.W35 1998)
Comprehensive work compiled by over 200 contributors. Main section is comprised of 750 A-Z entries, each with a bibliography. Entries are poem titles, subject headings, other poet’s names and magazine titles among others. Recommended for all students working on Whitman.

Oxford Companion to Shakespeare (PR 2892. O94 2001)
Encyclopedia devoted to the life, work and times of Shakespeare. Comprehensive A-Z listing, with an index by theme. Contains some useful features including a chronology and a Royal Family tree from Shakespeare’s time. The sonnets are well represented.

ONLINE DATABASES

Biography Reference Bank
Contains more than 95,000 biographies and obituaries and more than 26,000 photographs of the subjects. Many of the biographies are enhanced with full text, abstracts, and citations. Full text of the articles from more than 100 volumes of biographical reference books including all the articles from the World Author Series.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Huge index of biographical sketches that now holds over 15 million records. Provides citations of Who’s Who volumes, biographical dictionaries and volumes of literary criticism among others. Very strong in the literature field.

Literature Resource Center
Information on literary figures from all time periods writing in such genres as fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama. Built on three author databases: Contemporary Authors Online, Contemporary Literary Criticism Select, and Dictionary of Literary Biography Online, containing more than 11,700 entries.