Examines the history and usage of the words "lay" and "lie." (MM)

Advocates a more clearly defined place for literary reading in interdisciplinary studies. Defines "interdisciplinary" as implying dialogues across borders. States that literary study has in the past distinguished itself from the social sciences by allowing more space for the language of texts to "talk back." Discusses a 1925 historical essay, "The…

Examines the Working Party on English Literature's report on the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Concludes that the report attempts both to validate and challenge some basic GCSE assumptions, and that its total rejection of criterion-referencing constitutes a much-needed stand against GCSE grading practices. (MM)

Argues for increasing the use of nontraditional methodologies in the reading of Shakespeare's plays for secondary school students. Discusses the "myth of Shakespeare" and his plays as a cultural inheritance, an attitude that is implicitly encouraged by the British National Curriculum. Posits that children in the classroom should be in…

Designed for young adults, this book on Jane Austen's novels is one of an anthology series providing accessible resources for students researching great literary lives and works. Contributing writers' essays in the book are taken from a wide variety of sources and are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension levels of young adults; each…

This handout is a guide to library resources in the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte for the criticism of poetry. The guide enables the reader to find sources of criticism on poetry, including critical articles and essays about single poems, or writings on the work of a single author. The guide's sections…

Intended to impart the basic ways a poem is constructed, this concise handbook is a prose guide to writing poetry. The handbook talks about meter and rhyme, form and diction, sound and sense, iambs and trochees, couplets and sonnets, and how and why this should matter to any person writing or reading poetry. Interspersing history and analysis with…

Designed to supplement the "Shakespeare for Children" series, this guidebook can be used by teachers who have no dramatic training or particular experience with Shakespeare and with students from elementary to high school. The book begins with a rationale for teaching Shakespeare to children and a comprehensive introduction which…

Monsters have haunted the literary imagination from earliest times (e.g., the Cyclops, Grendel, etc.), but a particular interest in horror and the Gothic form dates back to the 18th and early 19th centuries. Taking their name from the Gothic architecture that often served as a backdrop to the action, these novels present supernatural events in…

This handout is a guide to library resources in the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, intended to help students find sources of criticism on Modern British Literature (long fiction, short fiction, poetry, and drama). The guide explains important reference sources in the Atkins library reference collection and…

This handout is a guide to library resources in the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, for sources of criticism for the study of 17th-century British author John Milton. The guide is intended to help readers find critical and biographical information on Milton. It explains important reference sources in the…

This lesson introduces students to one of the most admired characterizations in Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales," the Wife of Bath. Students read Chaucer's description of the Wife in the "General Prologue" to consider how he represents her, both as the poet of "The Canterbury Tales" and as a character in his own poem,…

Considers how while some Robin Hood books are clearly intended for young readers, others blur the boundaries, sometimes in ways that help break down artificial boundaries dividing fiction for children from that for adults. Explores the legend's long history to help understand why the story lends itself to such a wide variety of retellings.…

Designed for young adults, this book on William Shakespeare's tragedies is one of an anthology series providing accessible resources for students researching great literary lives and works. Contributing writers' essays in the book are taken from a wide variety of sources and are edited to accommodate the reading and comprehension levels of young…

This handout is a guide to library resources in the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, for the study of the 19th-century English authors Branwell, Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Bronte. The guide is intended to help readers find resources in the Atkins library for biographical and critical material on the Brontes.…