Poetry

Use:

• Always capitalize Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) in your search statement.

• AND
  This strategy will narrow your search. 
• OR
  This strategy will broaden your search. Put words linked by OR inside parentheses ( ).
• Quotation marks " "
  Using quotation marks will ensure that the database finds results that use that exact phrase.
• Asterisk * 
  The * symbol tells the database to search for alternative word endings, for example: cultur* will search for culture, cultures, cultural

How do I choose keywords for my searches?

• Words to include
  For an poetry research topic, you would want to include, at the very least, the poet's name and the title of the poem you're researching.
• Use quotation marks
  If the poem's title is longer than one word, you can optimize your search by putting quotation marks around the title. Using quotation marks will ensure that the database finds results that use that exact phrase.  
• Use AND
  To search for both the writer and the work together, you need to link your search terms with AND. This strategy will narrow your search. 

Found too many results?

• Add more keywords
  If you find that you are retrieving too many results, try adding more keywords to further narrow your topic.

Found too few results?

• Use OR
  If you are searching for a lesser-known poet or poem, you may not find much information about the particular writer and work you have chosen. In this case you can try broadening your search by using OR to link your terms. This strategy will broaden your search because it will return results that mention either Keats OR "Ode on a Grecian Urn"

• Look for more general information 
  If you are still having trouble finding enough information, try looking for more general information about themes, motifs, or symbols that may occur in the work you are studying, or about traits typical of a particular type of poetry.

You can review your searching skills with our Database Searching Basics guide and this UMGC Library Webinar on Boolean Searching.