What is an anthology?
The most commonly used source for literary criticism is an anthology. A literary criticism anthology is a collection of previously published essays and articles on a specific author or story usually written by many different authors and includes an editor or compiler who puts them all together for re-publication. When citing an anthology you will include both the author of the essay and the editor(s) of the book the essays were re-published in. You can usually use more than one essay from the same published anthology because the essays are written by different people. The sample citations (in the next three tabs) are from anthologies available at the CF Library.
An MLA citation for an anthology includes the following elements (in order):
- Author of the essay (last name, first name).
- Title of the essay (in quotes).
- Title of the anthology (italicized).
- Edited by Editor's first name last name.
- Volume number (if more than one volume).
- Publisher,
- Year of publication.
- Page numbers of the essay
Circulating Anthologies
Bloom's Major Short Story Writers: William FaulknerCall Number: PS3511 .A86 Z985685 1999These research and study guides are the perfect introduction to the featured author. They provide a critical analysis of four to six short stories, offering a variety of viewpoints from different critics on the important aspects of each work. In this volume the following Faulkner short stories are covered: A Rose for Emily, Dry September, That Evening Sun and Barn Burning.
You need your student ID to check any materials out of the library. Students may check-out as many as 20 books total, with a limit of five per subject area. Books are checked-out for three weeks with one renewal. If another student puts a hold on your book, you may not renew it.
Bloom's Major Short Story Writers: Nathaniel HawthorneCall Number: PS1888 .N295 2001These texts, as part of a series of research and study guides, provide an introduction to the critical analysis of popular short story writers. Each guide covers four to six novels, with contributions from experts on each of the cited authors. In this volume, Hawthorne's short stories covered include: Young Goodman Brown, The Minister's Veil, The Maypole of Merry Mount, Rappaccini's Daughter and Roger Malvin's Burial.
Modern Critical Views: Margaret AtwoodCall Number: PR9199.3 .A8 Z747 2000This series of books brings together the best criticism on the most widely read writers, including critical portraits of the most influential English-language writers. Each book contains numerous critical essays by noted scholars of the author.
Bloom's Modern Critical Views: Maya AngelouCall Number: PS3551 .N464 Z76 2009A literature of black womens courage and experience is at the heart of Maya Angelou's writing. She has been called a national institution and the people's poet. It has been suggested that she has manifested an indomitable spirit and benign will in her most famous book, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." This addition to the Bloom's Modern Critical Views series is enhanced by a chronology, bibliography, notes on the contributors, and an introductory essay by noted literary scholar Harold Bloom.
Critical Insights: Jack LondonCall Number: PS3523 .O46 Z6495 2012This volume in the Critical Insights series begins with an essay entitled "On Jack London," which is a brief discussion of his life and works. A longer biographical section follows. Original essays include a discussion of the literary careers of Jack London and Mark Twain and a close examination of the critical reception of London's works. Other essays discuss London's use of Carl Jung's Psychology of the Unconscious, his use of Naturalism in his early works and the themes of androgyny throughout his novels.
Readings on Stephen KingCall Number: PS3561 .I483 Z83 2004This anthology collects representative critical essays, reviews, and commentary from the author himself about his body of work. King's life, his development as a writer, his literary influences, and important themes and motifs in his fiction are considered from a variety of perspectives, including feminist theory, sociological criticism, and the traditions of Gothic horror.
Reference Anthologies for Literary Criticism
Reference materials are for use in the library only. You may make copies for 10¢ per page. You need a copy card to make photocopies. The copy card machine is located in the Learning Support Center Lab (on the first floor). Copiers are available on both floors.
Novels for StudentsCall Number: Ref PN44 .N937Each volume in the Novels for Students Series contains easily accessible and context-rich discussions of the literary and historical significance of 14 to 15 major works from various cultures and time periods, including concise synopses of plot, characters and themes; a brief author biography; a discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance; and excerpted criticism.
Nineteenth-Century Literature CriticismCall Number: Ref PN761 .N56A convenient source of critical commentary on the careers and works of acclaimed authors who died between 1800 and 1899.
Twentieth-Century Literary CriticismCall Number: Ref PN771 .G27This highly useful series presents criticism on the major literary figures and nonfiction writers, including novelists, poets, playwrights and literary theorists, who died between 1900 and 1999. Each volume presents overviews of four to eight authors which typically include an author portrait, an introduction to the author, a primary bibliography, annotated criticism and an annotated list of further reading sources.
Short Story CriticismCall Number: Ref PN3373 .S386Each volume in this series presents biographical and critical information on four to eight short story writers and a historical survey of the critical response to their work.
Short Stories for StudentsCall Number: Ref PN3330 .S386Each volume, features 14 to 15 entries, containing concise synopses of each story's plot, characters and themes; a brief author biography; a discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance; excerpted criticism; and more.
Masterplots II: Poetry Series, Revised ed.Call Number: Ref PN1110.5 .M37 2002The 8 volume Masterplots II: Poetry Series provides the most comprehensive coverage of the most commonly studied poems written in or translated into English. Each article begins with birth and death dates, the dates of the poet's first publication, a section which examines the poetic devices and explores word choice and metaphor, and a section with analyzes the main focus of the poetry and the poet's overriding concerns.
Poetry CriticismCall Number: Ref PN1010 .P499Each volume provides substantive critical essays and biographical information on four to eight major poets from all eras.
Shakespeare's Characters for StudentsCall Number: Ref PR2989 .S53 1997The purpose of this text is primarily to provide students who are studying Shakespeare's plays with an easy access to information about characters in the plays. This information includes an explanation of a given character's role in the play, as well as discussion about the character's relationship to other characters in the play; how the character's actions and choices affect the other characters in the play, and the possible motivation for the character's actions.
