Bloom’s Literature offers a comprehensive resource for the study of literature. Edited and curated by Yale University professor Harold Bloom, one of the world’s leading literary scholars, this database includes thousands of critical essays, author biographies and character analyses, the full content of hundreds of books from our extensive reference collection and more than 800 classic works of literature selected from Bloom’s Literary Canon, thousands of questions for discussion and writing, thousands of full-length poems, essays providing guidance on writing papers, full-length videos of classic stage performances and film adaptations of literary works, and a Shakespeare Center housing in one convenient location the database’s treasure trove of content on all things Shakespeare.

Highlights: 

• Complete coverage: Bloom’s Literature contains a wide range of reference essays and scholarly criticism examining great authors—from William Shakespeare to J. K. Rowling—and their works.
• Full-length videos of classic plays and films: Bloom’s Literature features streaming video of more than 400 famous productions, from comedies to dramas to musicals—including Hamlet(starring David Tennant), Death of a Salesman (starring Lee J. Cobb), Julius Caesar (starring Sir John Gielgud), and The Glass Menagerie (starring Katharine Hepburn)—plus video clips featuring major scholars such as Harold Bloom discussing important literary topics.
• Hundreds of full-text, classic works: Bloom’s Literature includes a Literary Classics eBook shelf containing the full contents of more than 800 classic works of literature selected from Bloom’s Literary Canon, including the essential works of the most important authors in world history and literature. Researchers can filter these titles by type of work to find what they need. This eBook shelf can be found under “Resources” in the Browse drop-down menu at the top of any page or under “Browse Resources” on the right-hand side of the homepage.
• “How to Write about”: Bloom’s Literature offers specific, user-friendly guidance on how to write good essays on the most frequently studied authors and works. These guides offer strategies and ideas on how to bring deeper analysis into essays and add an extra dimension to your writing. Subjects covered for each title and author include:

Themes

Character

History and Context

Philosophy and Ideas

Form and Genre

Language, Symbols, and Imagery

Compare and Contrast Essays

• Essential writing help: Two general sections on the “How to Write about” page can be used as guides for any writing project:
• How to Write a Good Essay includes easy-to-understand advice on writing papers on a variety of general topics.
• Preparing to Write walks readers through the different steps of putting together an essay, including preparing a thesis statement and outline; writing an introduction, conclusion, and body paragraphs; and assembling a list of works cited. A sample essay is provided.
• Shakespeare Center: Bloom’s Literature’s all-new Shakespeare Center houses in one convenient location a treasure trove of content on all things Shakespeare. Every play is covered in depth, along with the sonnets and longer poems, providing a complete research and study center for students and researchers and a robust repository of content for educators to use for lesson planning, assignments, and classes. Comprehensive essays provide history and context to Shakespeare’s life, times, and impact. Coverage of each play includes:

The full, searchable text of the play

Analysis of key passages

Critical articles by noted scholars, selected by Harold Bloom

Introduction and background

Detailed synopses

In-depth character studies

Difficulties of the play

The play today

Full-length performance videos

Images and illustrations

“How to Write about” articles

Discussion questions

• Authors: Bloom’s Literature features a wealth of content on the finest contemporary and classic writers from around the world. The most studied authors are featured on the home page and can also be accessed via a tab in the Author Index. Authors can be browsed by name, nationality, type, and dates of birth and death. A Quick Find option in the Author index allows users to quickly search for an author by last name.
• Works: Bloom’s Literature provides overviews, synopses, analyses, and literary criticism of thousands of works. The most studied works are featured on the home page and can also be accessed via a tab in the Works Index. Works in the Works Index can be browsed by title, genre, or publication date; they can also be filtered by author.
• Characters: Bloom’s Literature is packed with information on more than 49,000 major and minor literary characters. The most studied characters are featured on the home page and can also be accessed via a tab in the Character Index. The “Find a Character” tab in the Character Index allows users to search for a character by name or by work.
• Literary criticism: Bloom’s Literature includes critical essays from Facts On File’s extensive collection, Harold Bloom’s acclaimed essays, and criticism from the Bloom’s imprint.
• Topics and themes: Bloom’s Literature features in-depth, full-text entries on literary movements, groups, periodicals, and historical events.
• Discussion questions: Bloom’s Literature features more than 9,000 questions providing research and writing suggestions on a range of literary topics. These questions are designed to inspire students and researchers to think critically, delve deeper, and ask (and answer) fresh new questions. Educators can use them in class to spark discussion, as a starting point for lectures, or assign for independent study.
• Full-text poems: Students and researchers can find more than 2,700 full-text poems in Bloom’s Literature. Each poem:

- Has a corresponding analytical entry in the database available via Search, allowing students and researchers to enhance their understanding by reading the poem alongside criticism of it.

- Is presented in an easily readable format and is accessible both via Search and from a full-text poetry gateway page users can access via the “Browse” drop-down menu at the top of the page.

• Authoritative source list: Bloom’s Literature features a complete inventory, by type, of the sources of the content in the database, including thousands of scholarly and critical books, hundreds of peer-reviewed journals and other periodicals, respected image and manuscript archives, famous film and television producers, and much more—sources researchers can trust.

Appropriate For: Grade 9 - Post Secondary