DigitalDonne: the Online Variorum

Master List of Poems in 17th-Century Sources

Compiled over the years by Variorum editors, staff members, and student assistants*, this database adapts and supplements information presented in three standard bibliographical works—Beal’s Index, Keynes’s Bibliography, and Sullivan’s Uncollected Printed Verse. Each entry in the list is categorized by genre, identified by work siglum and DV short form, and located by folio or page number, and tagged by ordinal position of the copy in the artifact (non-canonical and prose materials are not included in this ordering). Further, a diplomatic transcription of the first line of each item appears in the right-most column. The list is presented in both PDF and sortable HTML formats. The abbreviations and short forms employed are those used throughout the edition, including this website. Please also note the following:

  • “(E)” beside a Short Form denotes an epistle that accompanies the poem.
  • An “(a)” or “(b)” attached to a Short Form in column C distinguishes first and second appearances of the poem in the artifact.
  • The abbreviations “(pt1)” or “(pt2)” are used to label sections of a poem that does not appear as a continuous whole in the artifact.
  • To facilitate accurate sorting, leading zeros have been added to the sigla for the 17th-century prints: for example, “A” is represented as “00A” in column D.
  • Column E locates the poem in the artifact by folio or page number. Folio numbers are differentiated from page numbers by the inclusion of an “r” (recto) or a “v” (verso).
  • Numbers in square brackets in column E correct page misnumberings in print artifacts.
  • A fragmentary copy of a poem is identified as a “[frag]” in the transcription of the first line.
Master List of Poems in 17th-Century Sources

How to Sort the Data in the XLS Spreadsheet containing the “Master List of Poems”

By default, the database is sorted by DV Short Form and Source Siglum, but it can be resorted in various orders to create a list specific to particular users’ requirements. Sorting on the criteria “Source Siglum” and “Ordinal Position,” for instance, will generate a first-line index of the Donne verse in each artifact.

Note:By resorting the data, users can tailor the list to their own particular requirements, but it is important that sorts be carried out according to the following instructions.  Improper sorting can detach individual columns of data from the others and severely reduce the usefulness of the database.

  1. Select Column A by clicking on the letter "A" in the top line (i.e., the line containing the letter designation for each column of data). By default, Column A will be selected when you first open the XLS file.
  2. Click the "Data" tab in the top toolbar and choose "Sort."
  3. You will then see a "Sort Warning" box asking if you would like to "Expand the selection" or "Continue with the current selection." Always choose "Expand the selection." This choice will highlight the data in every cell of the spreadsheet and ensure that the data in each row of the spreadsheet remains together in the sorting operation.
  4. Click “Sort.”
  5. A "Sort" dialog box will appear, presenting the options "Column," "Sort On," and "Order."
  6. Under the “Column” option, select the sort criterion (“Generic Type,” “Work Siglum,” “DV Short Form,” etc.). “Add Level” and “Delete Level” options allow you select and arrange the criteria for the sort operation.
  7. You will then see another "Sort Warning" box asking if you would like to "Sort anything that looks like a number, as a number" or "Sort numbers and numbers stored as text separately." Always choose "Sort anything that looks like a number, as a number." (Note: if you are sorting on columns that contain no numbers, this "sort Warning" box will not appear.)
  8. In case you make a mistake, all is not lost. You can simply redownload the file and start over. As a safeguard, an unalterable PDF file with the data organized in the default arrangement is available for on-screen viewing or download.

How to Change the View in the “Master List” (Office 2007 or 2010)

  1. Click the "View" tab in the toolbar at the top of the page.
  2. A ribbon offering the following choices will then appear: "Normal," "Page Layout," "Page Break Preview," "Custom Views," and "Full Screen."
  3. By default, the “Master List” opens in "Page Layout" view, which presents the list as a sequence of discrete pages each of which contains a header and a footer.
  4. Different options enable alternate views of the database. For instance, "Normal" view displays the data as a single, uninterrupted list, without dividing it into pages. In either “Page Layout” or “Normal” view, clicking “Full Screen” enlarges the window to fill the available space.
  5. In earlier versions of Office, the "View" menu appears at the top or the screen instead of in a tab; otherwise, the process for changing the view is similar to that described here.

*Contributing staff members and student assistants include J. Syd Conner, Maia Fallesen, Mary Farrington, Kelley Bradley, Nazenin Ozkan Carpenter, Dayoung Chung, Kirsis Concepcion, Olivia Cunningham, Tracey Kniffen, Tracy McLawhorn, Laura Perrings, Brittany Swihart, and Carly Thompson.

Comments and questions about this page to mclawhornt@ecu.edu