English 102: English Composition II: Home

Each volume of Poetry For Students contains easily accessible and content-rich discussions of the literary and historical background of 14-16 works from various cultures and time periods. Each poem covered in this new resource was specially chosen by an advisory panel of teachers and librarians -- experts who have helped us define the information needs of students and ensure the age-appropriateness of this reference's content.

Each volume of this reference provides substantial critical essays and biographical information on four to eight major poets from all eras. Entries provide an introductory biographical sketch, an author portrait, a primary bibliography, annotated full text and excerpted criticism of the poets' works, and sources for additional reading. When available, comments from the poets themselves are included.

3 volumes in-house

The mountain of Shakespearean criticism is often more intimidating to students than Shakespeare's plays themselves. This volume attempts to address this problem with a single, accessible volume of criticism to the playwright's eight most popularly studied plays in secondary schools and undergraduate curriculums - Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, and The Merchant of Venice.

4 volumes in-house

Designed and written for students, this four-volume set introduces the genres and major works that constitute Shakespeare''s formidable canon. Whether readers are beginning with one of the tragedies, a history play, a comedy, or the poems, they will find a full volume devoted to each genre, with thorough analysis of the major works within. The set contains 77 essays, all written by experts, thus offering a guide to the perplexed. Each analytical essay is written with expertise and insight to guide the reader through the poem or play and to foster the full appreciation of both the content and context of the work. Full discussion is given to plot synopsis, character and thematic development, and historical context. In addition, the key passages, which are often the most pivotal yet challenging for readers, are explicated with detailed discussions. The organizational approach of this resource will help readers fully appreciate not only relationships between characters within plays but also between plays. Teachers will value this approach in encouraging students to compare and contrast and develop critical thinking. Additional resources are given for research and classroom assignments, and the first volume includes overview essays on major topics related to Shakespeare and his world: the Elizabethan age, his life, the theater of the era, his texts, and his language. Designed and written to meet the needs of students, this 4-volume set clearly and thoughtfully introduces the genres and major works that constitute Shakespeare''s formidable canon. Each volume is devoted to a particular genre: ; Volume I: Overviews and the History Plays ; Volume II: The Comedies ; Volume III: The Tragedies ; Volume IV: The Romances and Poetry. Within each volume are essays on particular works. These essays provide plot summaries, analyses of themes and characters, and discussions of historical contexts. In addition, the essays offer detailed explications of key passages, thus illuminating Shakespeare''s most critical yet challenging material. The organization of this companion underscores the relationships among characters and plays and encourages students to engage in comparative studies and critical thinking. Additional resources are given for research and classroom assignments, and the first volume includes essays on broad topics related to Shakespeare and his milieu. Volume I: Overviews and the History Plays This volume begins with essays on a number of broad topics related to Shakespeare and his world, including his era, his text, the theater, his life, and his language. Shakespeare''s history plays brilliantly expose the motivations of great kings and offer timeless political commentary. But because his material is unfamiliar to students, the histories are among his most challenging works. The essays in this volume treat such demanding plays as: ; Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III ; Henry IV, Parts I and II ; Richard III ; And others. Volume II: The Comedies Among the most enjoyed and performed plays in the world, Shakespeare''s comedies capture the spirit of his age and offer students a wealth of information about his era. This volume gives attention to such widely read plays as: ; A Midsummer Night''s Dream ; As You Like It ; The Merry Wives of Windsor ; The Taming of the Shrew ; And others. Volume III: The Tragedies Shakespeare''s tragedies are among the most sublime and influential works ever written. But because of the themes and issues they address, they are also among the most difficult. Included in this volume are extended analytical essays on such masterpieces as: ; Hamlet ; King Lear ; Macbeth ; Othello ; And others. Volume IV: The Romances and Poetry The Romances reveal Shakespeare''s boundless imagination and creativity. Discussed in this volume are such plays as: ; The Winter''s Tale ; The Tempest ; And others. And though best known today as the world''s greatest playwright, Shakespeare wrote a number of poems that would have easily secured his literary reputation. While his language has unsurpassed beauty, it also poses problems for modern readers. This volume explores the sonnets in a lengthy essay and individually profiles 33 of the most studied ones. It also separately covers such major poetic achievements as: A Lover''s Complaint ; The Rape of Lucrece ; Venus and Adonis ; The Phoenix and the Turtle ; The Passionate Pilgrim In addition, an appendix provides a selected annotated listing of good Web sites offering resources on Shakespeare.

150+ volumes in-house

CONTEMPORARY LITERARY CRITICISM assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers, scriptwriters, and other creative writers and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genres and creators. Each entry includes a set of previously published reviews, essays and other critical responses from sources that include scholarly books and journals, literary magazines, interviews, websites, and other sources, carefully selected to create a representative history and cross-section of critical responses.

120+ volumes in-house

NINETEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE CRITICISM assembles critical responses to the works of 19th-Century authors of all sorts?novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists, philosophers, political leaders, scientists, mathematicians and writers from other genres?from every region of the world.Each of the more than 280 volumes in this long-standing series profiles approximately 3-6 novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists, philosophers or other creative and nonfiction writers by providing full-text or excerpted criticism reproduced from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. Clear, accessible introductory essays followed by carefully selected critical responses allow end-users to engage with a variety of scholarly views and conversations about authors, works and literary topics. Introductory essays are written and entries compiled by professional literature researchers and other subject matter experts. A full citation and annotation precede each of the approximately 50 essays per volume; many include an author portrait. The series currently covers nearly 600 authors and also includes numerous entries focusing on literary topics and individual works.Student's writing papers or class presentations, instructors preparing their syllabi, or anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the 19th Century will find this a highly useful resource.

130+ volumes in-house

TWENTIETH-CENTURY LITERARY CRITICISM assembles critical responses to the works of 20th-Century authors of all sorts?novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists, philosophers, political leaders, scientists, mathematicians and writers from other genres?from every region of the world.Each of the more than 280 volumes in this long-standing series profiles approximately 3-6 novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists, philosophers or other creative and nonfiction writers by providing full-text or excerpted criticism reproduced from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. Clear, accessible introductory essays followed by carefully selected critical responses allow end-users to engage with a variety of scholarly views and conversations about authors, works and literary topics. Introductory essays are written and entries compiled by professional literature researchers and other subject matter experts. A full citation and annotation precede each of the approximately 50 essays per volume; many include an author portrait. The series currently covers more than 1,000 authors and also includes numerous entries focusing on literary topics and individual works. Student's writing papers or class presentations, instructors preparing their syllabi, or anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the 20th Century will find this a highly useful resource.

90+ volumes in-house

LITERATURE CRITICISM FROM 1400-1800 assembles critical responses to the literatures of the 15th through the 18th Centuries, covering writers and works of fiction, poetry, drama, journalism, philosophy, political theory, science, math and other genres from every region of the world. Each of the more than 200 volumes in this long-standing series profiles approximately 3-6 writers, works or topics by providing full-text or excerpted criticism reproduced from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. Clear, accessible introductory essays followed by carefully selected critical responses allow end-users to engage with a variety of scholarly views and conversations about authors, works and literary topics. Introductory essays are written and entries compiled by professional literature researchers and other subject matter experts. A full citation and annotation precede each of the approximately 50 essays per volume; many include an author portrait. The series currently covers more than 500 authors and also includes numerous entries focusing on literary topics and individual works. Students writing papers or class presentations, instructors preparing their syllabi, or anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the period will find this a highly useful resource.

30 volumes in-house

Each volume of Drama for Students contains easily accessible and content-rich discussions of the literary and historical background of 12 works from various cultures and time periods. Each play covered in this new resource was specially chosen by an advisory panel of teachers and librarians -- experts who have helped us define the information needs of students and ensure the age-appropriateness of this reference's content.

Each volume (beginning with volume 27) will include two "Literature to Film" entries. Entries profiling film versions of plays not only diversify the study of drama but support alternate learning styles, media literacy, and film studies curricula as well.

Short Stories for Students contains concise synopses of the story's plot, characters and themes, along with a brief author biography, a discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance, and excerpted criticism geared specifically toward the high school student. Researchers will also find information on media adaptations of the story, discussion questions, and suggestions on what to read next. Cumulative indexes enable students to access entries via author, title, nationality, and theme.

50+ volumes in-house

SHORT STORY CRITICISM assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned short fiction writers and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genre and its creators. Each of the nearly 150 volumes in this series profiles approximately 3-6 writers of short fiction from all time periods and all parts of the world. Entries provide an introductory biographical essay, a primary bibliography, a selection of full-text or excerpted critical essays reproduced from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals, and sources for additional research. A full citation and annotation precede each of the approximately 50 essays per volume; many entries include an author portrait. The series currently covers more than 500 authors and also includes numerous entries focusing on individual works and topics.Although short fiction is also covered in other titles from the Gale Literature Criticism series, SHORT STORY CRITICISM offers a greater focus on understanding the genre than is possible in the broader, survey-oriented entries in those series. Clear, accessible introductory essays followed by carefully selected critical responses allow endusers to engage with a variety of scholarly views and conversations about writers of short fiction and their works. Students writing papers or class presentations, instructors preparing their syllabi, or anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the genre will find this a highly useful resource.