This thematic guide offers interpretations of 415 poems, representing the work of over 110 poets spanning seven centuries of British poetry. Educators teaching thematic units will find relevant essays appropriate for background presentation, discussion ideas, or student assignments. This book is clearly organized for easy access to information, whatever the users' individual purposes.

The main section of the guide contains narrative essays on 29 alphabetically arranged themes that recur throughout the history of British poetry. Explications of individual poems are arranged chronologically to trace the evolution of a particular theme over time. Following each entry, the poems are listed with information about the anthologies where the works can be found. Additional suggested readings make this the perfect resource for research and classroom use, and as an indispensable tool for librarians assisting readers to identify poets, access their works, and better understand the thematic meanings of poetry.

Charles Dickens was the most popular writer of his age and is still considered one of the world's greatest novelists. This well-written study surveys his unusual and prolific life, relating his fiction writings to his concerns and active involvement with social conditions of early Victorian England. Glancy skillfully takes the reader back in time to appreciate the historical settings that inspired works like "Oliver Twist, Great Expectations," and "A Tale of Two Cities." An entire chapter is devoted to each of these works, as well as to "David Copperfield, Hard Times," the Christmas books, and the early novels from "The Pickwick Papers" to "Martin Chuzzlewit." In each chapter Glancy's analysis of plot, style, and character development bring these imaginative stories to life for the reader. This book examines Dickens's keen understanding of human nature and draws out the themes that make works such as "A Christmas Carol" as beloved today as when first written.

This companion to Dickens will aid students in understanding the social context and literary genius of one of the greatest Victorian novelists. The thorough biographical chapter traces Dickens' life from his childhood through the development of his multi-faceted literary career. The literary heritage chapter examines the tremendous influence Dickens exerted on writing then and now. This volume surveys all of Dickens' work and provides in-depth readings of five of his novels and his Christmas works. The series format makes analysis of setting, plot, character development, and themes for each work accessible to students. The alternate critical perspectives enhance readers' understanding of Dickens' work. The selected bibliography and reviews cover both original and contemporary sources.

Since its publication in 1859, "A Tale of Two Cities "has remained the best-known fictional recreation of the French Revolution, and one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels." A Tale of Two Cities "blends a moving love story with the familiar figures of the Revolution-Bastille prisoners, a starving Parisian mob, and an indolent aristocracy.
Taking the form of a sourcebook, this guide to Dickens's dramatic novel offers:
- extensive introductory comment on the contexts and many interpretations of the text, from publication to the present
- annotated extracts from key contextual documents, reviews, critical works and the text itself
- cross-references between documents and sections of the guide, in order to suggest links between texts, contexts and criticism
- suggestions for further reading.
Part of the "Routledge Guides to Literature" series, this volume is essential reading for all those beginning detailed study of "A Tale of Two Cities" and seeking not only a guide to the novel, but a way through the wealth of contextual and critical material that surrounds Dickens's text.

Since its publication in 1859, "A Tale of Two Cities "has remained the best-known fictional recreation of the French Revolution, and one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels." A Tale of Two Cities "blends a moving love story with the familiar figures of the Revolution-Bastille prisoners, a starving Parisian mob, and an indolent aristocracy.
Taking the form of a sourcebook, this guide to Dickens's dramatic novel offers:
- extensive introductory comment on the contexts and many interpretations of the text, from publication to the present
- annotated extracts from key contextual documents, reviews, critical works and the text itself
- cross-references between documents and sections of the guide, in order to suggest links between texts, contexts and criticism
- suggestions for further reading.
Part of the "Routledge Guides to Literature" series, this volume is essential reading for all those beginning detailed study of "A Tale of Two Cities" and seeking not only a guide to the novel, but a way through the wealth of contextual and critical material that surrounds Dickens's text.