Not John Skelton

“Tho my rhyme be ragged, tattered and jagged, roodly rayne beaten, rusty and mough eaten, it hath in it some pyth” — John Skelton

Some students think English lit is nothing but double, double, toil and trouble. But it doesn’t have to be an idiot’s tale, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. Here’s some help.

If thou takest courses on literature from merrie auld Aengland, thou must check out Barron’s EZ 101 Study Key: English Literature. Ok, the name doesn’t exactly flow off the tongue like Petrarchian poesy; but it is truly the noblest English lit guide of them all. It will tell you 60% of what you need to know. I cannot recommend it enough.

Wander lonely as a cloud over vales and hills to your school library and check out a literature anthology. These list all important terms, authors, and works in alphabetical order, often with a nice little blurb for each.

Often your professor intends that you read a stack of books tedious and wearisome. But the best plans o’ mice and o’ men go oft awry! So, if you’re feeling naughty, you can make your professor’s plans go awry by stumbling over to Sparknotes. This site features chapter-by-chapter summaries for almost all relevant books; it also has explanations of the characters, themes, motifs, and ideas of great novels. ‘Tis better to have read about it on Sparknotes than never to have read about it at all.

If you need to ask a question on anything, try the Literature Network. Its forums are filled with literati who may be willing to answer questions. However, be ye warned: it pleaseth them not when students ask lazy questions; your question must be valid and intelligent. Also, the Literature Network has most major works of literature available for free.