Sobdo wrote:
> 1.Is a Critical Heritage Series on Donne available?
> 2.How can I acquire an exhaustive bibliography on Criticism of Donne?
> Is it available online?
Dear Sobdo,
The Critical Heritage is a wonderful series. I'd recommend it both
for a good introduction to any of its authors and for research
purposes. A. J. Smith edits two volumes on Donne. (Smith edited an
edition of the poems, too.)
You've said previously that you are a student. I don't know your
circumstances, but the Donne/Smith title took three minutes to track
down. Are basic research materials not available to you? Creation of a
bibliography is part of doing any research. Start wherever you can and
follow leads. I started my dissertation bibliography from one article
in the Princeton Encyclopedia. There should be plenty in Smith's
volumes, and in Helen Gardner's work on Donne. Look him up in the index
of every book you know and follow the citations. Look up "metaphysical"
in the OED and see who first used it for the poets. Donne is named in
the first two uses. Get an index to Samuel Johnson's writings and find
any mention of Metaphysical poets. If you think what he wrote was
important for your work, see if Johnson was important to the poets you
are interested in. Keats' letters would be a good place to look. Eliot
wrote a review of an edition of Donne's poems. Eliot's writings are
indexed by Donald Gallup.
No one but you can know what you need. Research on sources is part
of the thinking process and is a good tool to shaping your argument. If
you have access to a good library and (as a most blessed bonus) the
Internet, you'll gather a starting list in no time. Depending on the
requirements of your work, you'll decide what to pursue. Where do you
study? What degree are you prosecuting (as my supervisor says)?
Sorry if I've been preachy. It is infinitely more pleasurable to
talk about doing your work than doing my own. Good luck,
Marcia
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