There are many reference tools available that can provide useful information pertaining to poetry. These include sources that provide biographical information on a poet, bibliographies of additional resources on a poet or a poet's works, and definitions of important poetry terminology. The following all located in Suzzallo Reference or Suzzallo/Allen Stacks.
- Asian-American Poets: a Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook, PS153.A84 A826 2002.
- Contemporary American Women Poets: an A-to-Z Guide, PS151 .C665 2002.
- Contemporary Poets, PR 603 .C6 1991.
- Dictionary of Literary Biography, PN 41 .D484 (also available online through LRC - see below)
- Dictionary of Poetic Terms, PN 1042 .M93 2003.
- Encyclopedia of American Poetry: 19th Century, PS 316 .E53 1998.
- Encyclopedia of American Poetry. The Twentieth Century, PS323.5 .E53 2001.
- New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry & Poetics, PN 1021 .N39 1993.
- Notable Poets (3 vols.), PN 1022 .N68 1998.
- Poetry Themes, PN 1022 .M3.
- Poet's Market, PN 1059 .M3 P63.
- Princeton Encyclopedia of Poety and Poetics 4th edition - [UW restricted]