American Literature     |     Authors     |     Bibliography     |     British Literature    |     Children's and Young Adult Literature     |     Fiction Works     |     Literature Criticism      |     World Literature    

Literature

Read up on the topic of literature, which is any written work, including novels, short stories, plays, poetry, biographies and autobiographies, works of history, essays, and literature criticism. Some people restrict the definition of literature to works that are considered to have artistic or intellectual value. While some tend to think of literature only in terms of printed books, literature in the 21st century can also be read online using popular e-readers, such as the Kindle.

Literature is classified into the broad categories of fiction (literary works that are imagined stories) and nonfiction (works concerned with facts, real events, and real people). Fiction works are further divided into genres such as mysteries, science fiction, horror, fantasy, romance, Westerns, thrillers, dramas, coming-of-age stories, and historical fiction (fiction based on true events from the past). Literature is also defined based on whether it is poetry (works that express ideas and feelings by the use of distinctive style and rhythm) or prose (writings with no metrical structure).

Explore what Gale can provide on this topic:

 

                     View Resources

              Contact my rep

Literature Topics

Gale provides insights and useful resources for research supporting literature across a variety of topics. 

Literature Resources

Gale offers a product portfolio, including databases, primary sources, and eBooks, designed to support education.

Databases

Gale databases support literature research by providing full-text articles, peer-reviewed articles, and abstracts from must-read literary collections, literary publications, and literary journals.

Primary Sources

Gale Primary Sources provides researchers with firsthand content, including literary journals and literary publications. 

Gale eBooks

Gale offers a variety of high-quality eBooks that can be added to a customized collection and cross-searched to pinpoint relevant content and workflow tools  that enable users to share, save, and download content.

  • Poetry for Students

    Poetry for Students

    Gale  |  2020  |  ISBN-13: 9781410388377

    Each volume of Poetry For Students contains easily accessible and content-rich discussions of the literary and historical background of 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.

  • Shakespearean Criticism: Excerpts from the Criticism of William Shakespeare’s Plays & Poetry, from the First Published Appraisals to Current Evaluations

    Shakespearean Criticism: Excerpts from the Criticism of William Shakespeare’s Plays & Poetry, from the First Published Appraisals to Current Evaluations

    Gale  |  2020  |  ISBN-13: 9781410384423

    Shakespearean Criticism provides students, educators, theatergoers, and other interested readers with valuable insights into Shakespeare’s drama and poetry. Clear, accessible introductory essays followed by carefully selected critical responses allow end users to engage with a variety of scholarly views and critical conversations about Shakespeare’s works as literature and in performance. 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, letters, and diaries, carefully selected to create a representative history and cross-section of critical responses. Indexes to characters and major themes help students develop paper topics and locate suitable research materials. Students and teachers at all levels of study will benefit from this series, whether they seek information for class discussion and writing assignments, new perspectives on the works, or the most noteworthy analyses of Shakespeare’s legacy.

  • Short Story Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers

    Short Story Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers

    Gale  |  2020  |  ISBN-13: 9781410384737

    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 more than 250 volumes in this series profiles approximately three to six 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—many entries include an author portrait. A full citation and annotation precede each of the approximately 50 essays per volume. 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 end users 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.

Resources to Boost Your Research

From trending social issues to classic literature, Gale resources have you covered. Explore overviews, statistics, essay topics, and more or log in through your library to find even more content.

Access topics >>