Q: How do I find poem(s) by a particular writer?
A: Search the library catalog for a poet's name, not the title of a poem. Generally, individual poems are not listed in the library catalog, so instead look for a collection of works by a poet or a poetry anthology (a collection of poems by several authors).
Q: How do I find a particular poem?
A: First, find out the name of the poet. You can usually Google the title of the poem or a line of text if you don't know the name, though you might have to add "poem." Then you can either just fine the poem online, or see if it's in a book we have in the library (see above).
Q: What's the best way to find an anthology?
A: Anthologies are collections of poetry by different authors. Many focus on one style or era of poetry, while others might be collections of poems from certain themes (love poems, etc.), regions, or countries.
To find an anthology, use the OneSearch box on the library's homepage and try out a keyword search in the empty search box:
Poetry Anthologies
Poetry Collections
American Poetry 19th Century
American Poetry 20th Century
American Poetry 21st Century
Q: How can I tell whether a book is poetry or prose? Does the Library of Congress indicate this in its catalog records?
A: The Library of Congress does not explicitly indicate whether a book is poetry or prose in its catalog records. You can review the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) assigned to a book to see whether a word such as poetry or biography, which might help indicate the form of the book, is given.
A subject term such as poetry is typically used to designate a prose work about poetry (e.g., a collection of essays), and not a work of poetry itself.
Q: I don't understand all the words that are used around poetry. What's a sonnet, or a ceasure? What's heroic verse, as opposed to blank verse?
A: Poetry does come with its own complex and specialized language, and poetry terms can be a lot. But the Poetry Foundation's Glossary of Poetic Terms, will give you a definition for anything you will come across.
Search most of the library databases, eBooks, physical collection, and open access resources all in one place. OneSearch provides simple, one-stop searching for books, videos, articles, digital media, and more.
Our Films on Demand and Kanopy databases (available at the links below or on our homepage in the "Films" tab) have numerous excellent documentaries you can use to better research poems, genres or styles of poetry, the history or poetry, or anything else you may need. You can also find videos of reading or quote these videos for assignments.
To use these database, first log in (For Kanopy, make sure to log in using the "Login to Cañada College" button, not the standard Login button), then try searching for your poet, poem, or movement. Here are some examples:
Most of these results are short clips, but if you find one you like you can easily follow it's provided link to the full video it was cut from.
Films on Demand is an online library of streaming educational videos, documentaries, and news videos covering a wide range of educational topics. These videos cover various subjects including, Anthropology, Nursing, History, Languages, etc. Videos include closed captioning and transcripts. Links to individual film titles and segments can be shared via Canvas, email or your personal website.
Kanopy is a streaming film database that includes movies and documentaries in a wide range of categories, including the Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, A24 Collection, short films, early film, independent film, Spanish language cinema, world cinema, and more.
The Essential Neruda by 
Secrets in the Sand: The Young Women of Juarez by 
Walt Whitman: Complete Poetry and Prose by 
Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women by 
The Rose That Grew from Concrete by 
Of Poetry and Protest: from Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin by 
Three Thousand Years of Black Poetry by 
Poetry after Auschwitz: Remembering What One Never Knew by 
Spring Poems along the Rio Grande by 
The Norton Book of Light Verse by 
Genre in Archaic and Classical Greek Poetry: Theories and Models by Many poetry anthologies will provide some criticism and discussion of the poems they contain. if you have a specific poet or poem(s), or even an era or style of poetry (for example, "Sonnets," or "American Poems"), then see if you can find a relevant anthology.
Otherwise, go to the tab Finding Article About Poetry or Poems tab of this LibGuide.
