Gothic fiction has intrigued and unsettled readers for more than two centuries. These articles research how these works reflect the political, social, and cultural contexts in which they were written.

What inspired the iconic poetry of the Romantic period, and how did the Romantic poets portray landscape, class, radicalism, and the sublime? Find out from this collection of articles.

From Lear's breakdown to Ophelia's malady, examine how Shakespeare depicts ideas of 'madness'.

Discover how Shakespeare's work was influenced by other cultures, and how in turn it's been interpreted in other nations over 400 years.

From Hamlet's melancholy to Juliet's eloquence; and from Othello's misunderstanding to Doctor Faustus's damnation, discover the richness of Shakespearean and Renaissance tragedies.

From cross-dressing in Twelfth Night to magical storms in The Tempest; from deception in Much Ado to biting satire in The Alchemist, discover the beauty and complexity of Shakespearean and Renaissance comedies.

From Othello and Shylock to depictions of the 'New World' and anti-immigration riots, explore Shakespeare's fascination with ethnic identity.

From the open-air Globe to the candlelit Blackfriars; from the countryside to the city; discover the world that shaped Shakespeare's work and influenced his legacy.

Great research site! Includes his themes, perspectives, form, style, audience, comparison and contrast in writing.

The BBC's Study Ireland features a wide range of contemporary poetic voices that explore five themes to give students a clear idea of how and why poems are written. The site provides the text and audio versions of the poems, along with a...

Newbery Award Winner, "Sounder", by William H. Armstrong, is about a sharecropping family and their hunting dog, Sounder. Overarching themes of this novel are courage, family, racial injustice, the importance of education, and hope. Make...

Editor Amy Ehrlich compelled ten well-known children's authors to write narratives, and she compiled these memoirs in her book, When I Was Your Age. The collection of narratives varies, but an underlying theme is the way in which...

This site from The Victorian Web provides information including social and political history and a detailed biography, essays about gender matters, theme, characterization, and more. This site contains a variety of excellent resources...

This collection of resources provides access to variety of scholarly works related to the Victorian writer. Includes a detailed biography, a list of works, social and political histories, and essays about themes, setting, imagery, and...

A portal to biographical information and essays related to Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) and her novel "Jane Eyre," including information about social and political history, characterization, themes, genre, setting, imagery, and more.

A scholarly essay discussing the theme of dreams in Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights."

This Victorian Web site is provides an excellent collection of information related to the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889) and his work. Content ranges from social and political history to the themes, imagery, and poetic structure...

Using short fiction by Raymond Carver and the art of Edward Hopper, this short unit plan explores the theme of alienation. This site includes questions, a list of suggested works, a reflection sheet, and an interactive exhibit of...

Here's an introduction to the creation myths of Canada's First Nations, which contains a brief look at the themes and content of these stories, as well as the problems that arise when they are translated. Includes links to the creation...

A complete site from the Emory University on Emecheta. Includes a brief biography, an essay on her themes, a list of her works and links to other sites.

This site has a biography on V.S. Naipaul and gives information on his themes and writing form.

Author Joyce Carol Oates examines the theme of inevitability in "Wuthering Heights," the life of the Bronte sisters, and how it affected their art.

A summary of The Tale of the Heike and important characters and themes in this epic which related to the miltary culture of the fourth century in Japan.

This is part of a literary history reception project. It presents a number of English texts inspired by the Tristan and Isolt legends.