The Literary Theory Handbook introduces students to the history and scope of literary theory, showing them how to perform literary analysis, and providing a greater understanding of the historical contexts for different theories. * A new edition of this highly successful text, which includes updated and refined chapters, and new sections on contemporary theories * Far reaching in its inclusion of a detailed history of theory and in-depth discussions of major theories and movements * Four distinct perspectives on theory--historical, thematic, biographical, practical--are carefully intertwined, so that key concepts, terms and ideas are developed in different contexts and cross-referenced, in the text and in the index. * Includes alphabetically-arranged biographies designed for quick reference, and sample readings to illustrate the practical application of theory