how to quote lines of a poem in an essay

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How to Quote a Poem in APA Referencing

• 3-minute read
• 31st July 2019

Many style guides have special rules for quoting poetry in an essay . In this post, for example, we will look at how to quote a poem using APA referencing. This will cover:

• How to present quoted verse on the page
• How to format in-text citations for a poem in APA referencing

If you are writing about poetry, then, make sure to follow the rules below.

How to Quote a Poem

The basic rules for quoting a line of poetry are the same as for quoting any other source. As such, to quote a poem, you should:

• Place the quoted text within quotation marks.
• Cite the author’s surname and year of publication in brackets.
• If available, include a page number for the quoted passage.

Otherwise, a single line of poetry will look like any other quote.

If you’re quoting two lines from a poem, though, you will need to include a include a forward slash to show where the line break was in the original text. A two-line quotation would therefore look like this:

One of the most famous examples of nonsense poetry is “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat,” which begins thus: “The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea / In a beautiful pea-green boat” (Lear, 1871/1983, p. 34).

Here, we’re quoting the first two lines of an Edward Lear poem (we include two dates because this is a republished version of the original work). The page numbers in the citation, meanwhile, show us where this poem appears in the book.

Quoting Three or More Lines of Poetry

If you’re using more than two lines from a poem, present it as a block quote . Ideally, you will recreate the presentation of the lines on the page from the original source:

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The final stanza begins with an interspecies wedding: “Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling    Your ring?” Said the Piggy, “I will.” So they took it away, and were married next day    By the Turkey who lives on the hill. (Lear, 1871/1983, p. 34)

Here, for example, we indent the second and final lines more than the rest of the quote. This is because the original poem is presented in the same way.

Furthermore, as with any APA block quote, the citation here comes after the final punctuation in the quote, not before it.

Adding a Poem to an APA Reference List

Finally, if you quote a poem anywhere in your work, it should also appear in the reference list at the end of your document. The correct reference format to use, however, will depend on how the poem was published:

• For long poems published as standalone works, use the standard book format . You can do this for anthologies with a single author, too, but make sure to name the editor as well as the author of the poems themselves.
• List poems published in an anthology as chapters from an edited book (i.e., include details for both poem and container volume).
• List a single poem found online as a web page .

Whatever their format, make sure to provide full publication information for all poems and their container volumes (i.e., the book or website where you found the poem). This will allow your reader to find them if required.

And if you need anyone to check your document for errors – including in citations and the reference list – don’t forget that we have expert academic proofreaders on hand and ready to help 24/7.

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MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

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Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the  MLA Handbook  and in chapter 7 of the  MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.

Basic in-text citation rules

In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.

General Guidelines

• The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
• Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

In-text citations: Author-page style

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.

In-text citations for print sources with known author

For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.

These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:

Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.

In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author

When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.

In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems

If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:

The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).

Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.

In-text citations for print sources with no known author

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.

Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .

If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:

In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:

"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.

If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.

Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.

Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions

Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's  The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:

Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection

When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the  internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in  Nature  in 1921, you might write something like this:

See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .

Citing authors with same last names

Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:

Citing a work by multiple authors

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

Corresponding Works Cited entry:

Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR , doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1

For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.

Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.

Citing multiple works by the same author

If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

Citing two articles by the same author :

Citing two books by the same author :

Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):

Citing multivolume works

If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)

Citing the Bible

In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:

If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:

John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

Citing indirect sources

Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:

Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.

Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays

Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.

Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.

Here is an example from O'Neill's  The Iceman Cometh.

WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.

ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.

WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's  Evaluating Sources of Information  resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.

Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

• Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
• Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
• Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like  CNN.com  or  Forbes.com,  as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.

Miscellaneous non-print sources

Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:

In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:

Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.

Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.

Electronic sources

Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:

In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).

In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:

Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009. 

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.

Multiple citations

To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:

Time-based media sources

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

When a citation is not needed

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.

Other Sources

The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.

In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.

You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers⁠ —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.

Quoting and Citing a Poem in MLA: Tips, Steps, and Insights

You are in the right place if you have been struggling online trying to discover how to quote and cite a poem in an MLA essay. You might have heard your professor say that quoting a poem in MLA means introducing the quote and using quotation marks, as you would for any other source. But how do you do that correctly when the quote includes line breaks? Let us look at this comprehensive guide to citing a poem in an MLA paper.

 In this post, you will discover all the information you need to know to quote and cite poems correctly as per the MLA stylebook.

When to Quote a Poem

Before you learn how to quote and cite a poem, it is vital to learn when it is necessary to do so. You should only quote a poem in your essay:

1. When Absolutely Necessary

You should only quote a poem in your essay when it is necessary. Quoting lines upon lines of a poem in your essay to boost the word count will not do you much good.

Most professors will be annoyed when they notice you have done this in your essay. And this usually leads only to an average or lower grade. Therefore, quote a poem only when absolutely necessary.

You will know it is necessary to quote a poem when quoting a poem adds value to your paper. If you genuinely believe quoting a poem enhances your paper in one way or another, you should do it.

2. When You Want To Support Your Arguments

It would help if you quoted a poem to support your arguments. There are situations where you cannot write your essay correctly without quoting a poem.

For example, when you analyze a poem in your essay, you must quote it several times. This will help show the reader what you are talking about. In other words, it will help you to support your arguments.

Related Reading:

• How to use block quotes in MLA.
• How to title a movie in an essay.
• Indenting paragraphs in an academic essay.

Now that you know when to quote a poem in an essay, it is time to discover how exactly to do so. The information we share below will show you how to quote a poem in MLA.

Essential Tips to Quote a Poem in MLA

There are different rules for quoting just a single line of poetry, two or three lines, and for quoting four or more lines.

1. How to Quote a Single Line of Poetry in Your MLA Essay

Quoting a single line of poetry in an MLA essay is easy. You need to put it in double quotes. This is how you would quote a single line of anything else in your MLA essay. So nothing is challenging about it.

Putting a single line of poetry in your MLA essay without enclosing it with double quotation marks will make it difficult for your professor to know you are quoting something.

And do not for a moment think that italicizing a line of poetry can work in lieu of the double quotation marks. It cannot work since it is not how the MLA stylebook requires you to quote a single line of poetry.

Examples of how to quote a single line of poetry:

• "While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping" Edgar Allan Poe
• "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed" Percy Shelley
• "Life is but an empty dream!" Henry Longfellow

2. How to Quote Two or Three Lines of Poetry

Quoting two or three lines of poetry is a bit more complex than quoting just one. This is because two or three lines of poetry will need something to tell the reader they are moving to the next line.

So how do you do it? Write two or three lines of poetry and enclose them with double quotation marks. Then use the forward slash symbol "/" to show the transition from one line to the next. The symbol should be preceded and followed by space.

If the lines you are quoting are from two different stanzas, use the double forward slash symbol "//" to show the transition from one stanza to the next.

One important thing to remember when quoting a chunk of poetry in your essay is that you should always retain the same styling, capitalization, and punctuation as in the original poem. Do not adjust or rewrite anything to make it sound better or more correct.

Examples of how to quote two to three lines of poetry:

• "Life is real! Life is earnest! / And the grave is not its goal;" Henry Longfellow
• "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Percy Shelley
• "Does it dry up / Like a raising in the sun?" Langston Hughes

3. How to Quote Four or More Lines of Poetry

How you quote four or more lines of poetry differs from how you quote three or fewer lines of poetry. It is different because when you quote four or more lines of poetry, you must quote them as a block.

Here is how exactly to quote four or more lines of poetry. First, introduce the quote or provide the reader with some context on the quote you will unleash to them. Second, put a colon at the end of the sentence to show a quote is coming.

Third, create a line break (a new line) and press the "Tab" this will indent your quote (0.5-inch from the left margin) and distinguish it from the rest of your writing. Lastly, quote the poem you wanted to quote without adding any quotation marks.

Example 1 of how to quote four or more lines of poetry:

Langston Hughes' poem opens with a couple of rhetorical questions:

            What happens to a dream deferred?

            Does it dry up

            Like a raisin in the sun?

            Or fester like a sore-

            And then run?

Example 2 of how to quote four or more lines of poetry

Maya Angelou's inspiring poem offers words of encouragement to the downtrodden:

            You may shoot me with your words,

            You may cut me with your eyes,

            You may kill me with your hatefulness,

            But still, like air, I'll rise.

Example 3 of how to quote four or more lines of poetry

The poet John Donne, in his thought-inspiring poem, reveals the deep connection we have to humanity:

            Any man's death diminishes me,

            Because I am involved in mankind,

            And therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

            It tolls for thee.

You now know how exactly to quote a poem in an MLA essay. It is now to discover how to cite a poem in MLA. Citing is not the same thing as quoting. It is more complex. Check the section below to understand.

How to cite a poem in an MLA Paper or Essay

When you name, discuss, mention, or refer to a poem, it is best to cite it so that your reader can read more about it if they want to. Failure to properly cite a poem or any other work you use or discuss in your essay is wrong and is considered academic dishonesty. It will make your essay look like it is missing something and reduce your chances of getting an excellent grade (professors do not like poorly cited essays).

When citing a poem in your essay, you must cite it in-text and on the reference page.

Citing a poem in-text has a few rules that you need to follow. The most important rule is clearly stating the author's last name. The purpose of doing this is to enable the reader to quickly locate the author of the work and the associated source on your references page.

Follow the rules below to cite any poem in-text in your MLA essay properly.

A. How to cite a poem with no line numbers or page numbers

You can find a poem on a website or a published text without any lines or page numbers. The correct way to cite it is only by the author's last name. Do not count the lines or the pages manually for your in-text citation.

Example of how to cite a poem with no line numbers or page numbers

"Every man is a piece of the continent, / A part of the main." (Donne)

B. How to cite a poem with line numbers

Sometimes poems are published with line numbers on the side. This is often true in official poem collections. When you quote or talk about a poem with line numbers in your essay, your in-text citation must show the exact lines you have quoted or are talking about.

Your citation should begin with the author's last name followed by a comma and the exact lines you have quoted or are discussing. Once you cite a poem with line numbers in this manner, put line numbers only in parentheses in subsequent references to the same poem.

Example of how to cite a poem with line numbers

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could travel both" (Frost, lines 1-2).

C. How to cite a poem with page numbers

A poem can be published over several pages. If a poem is published over several pages but without line numbers, you should provide an in-text citation referencing the exact page number you have quoted or are talking about.

Your citation should begin with the author's last name and the page number. Unlike in the case of line numbers, you are not supposed to put a comma between the poet's last name and the page number.

Example of how to cite a poem with page numbers

"For they sweet love remembered such wealth brings, / That, then I scorn to change my state with kings." (Shakespeare 38).

D. How to cite a poem multiple times

When you cite a poem severally in the same paragraph, you don't need to repeat the entire in-text citation over and over again. You need to put only the line number or page number you are referring to in parentheses.

Example of how to cite a poem consecutively in the same paragraph

"And be one traveler, long I stood / And looked down one as far as I could"

Citing a poem on the reference page MLA

Every poem you cite in-text should have the full citation on your references page. How you reference a poem on the references page depends on the source.

Poems can be found in many places (e.g., online, in a book, or in an anthology). The way you cite a poem you've found online is not the same you cite a poem you've found in a book.

A. How to cite a poem found online

When you find a poem online or on a website, there is a way you need to cite it. You must begin with the author's last name and then their first name. You need to follow the poet's name with the poem's name in parentheses. Check out the format below.

Online citation format:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title." Year of publication. Title of the website, Website Publisher, Link. Accessed day month year.

Online citation example:

Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 29." 1609. Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45090/sonnet-29-when-in-disgrace-with-fortune-and-mens-eyes. Accessed 19 Feb. 2023.

B. How to cite a poem from a book

When you find a poem in a book, there are rules you need to follow in citing it. The first two elements of the citation (the name and the title of the poem, will be formatted the same way as when citing a poem from an online source. The other elements are different, so the formatting is a bit different. Check out the format below.

Book citation format

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title." Book Title, Publisher. Year of publication, Page number/range.

Book citation example

Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 29." William Shakespeare Poem Collection, Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 32.

C. How to cite a poem from an anthology

An anthology is a collection of poems from different authors. How you cite a poem from an anthology is not the same way you cite a poem from a book with poems from solely one author. Use the format below to cite a poem from an anthology.

Anthology citation format

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Work."  Anthology Collection,  edited by (first name and last name), edition (if applicable), volume (if applicable), Publisher, year of anthology publication, page number or page range.

Anthology citation example:

Hughes, William. "Dark Oceans."  Collection of Modern South African Poems , edited by John Moore, Cape Town University Press, 2009, p. 77.

As we wind up this Super Guide...

If you made it this far, you are now conversant with how to quote poems in an MLA paper. You can now comfortably cite poems from different sources. We hope that the information we have shared with you should make it easy for you to quote and cite poems easily in your MLA essays.

• How to write a poem analysis essay.
• How to write an expository essay.
• How to write a rhetorical analysis essay.

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How to Cite a Poem Using APA Style

Last Updated: December 18, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Michelle Golden, PhD . Michelle Golden is an English teacher in Athens, Georgia. She received her MA in Language Arts Teacher Education in 2008 and received her PhD in English from Georgia State University in 2015. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 165,502 times.

The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide is very popular, especially in the social sciences. If you need to write a paper in APA style, there are a lot of different formatting rules to consider. Citing sources, such as poems, can be one of the most confusing things, but if you follow a few simple rules, you'll have perfectly formatted citations.

Quoting a Poem in Your Essay

• For example, introduce a short quote like this. Frost writes, "Some say the world will end in fire."

• For example, cite two line of a poem like this: "Some say the world will end end fire, / Some say in ice."

• You should not use quotation marks with block quotes. It is not necessary because the indentation signifies that it is a quote.
• Be sure to maintain the same double spacing that you have in the rest of your paper.

Using Proper In-Text Citations

• If you mention the author's name in the sentence that introduces the quote, include the year in parentheses after the author's name, and the page number in parentheses after the end of quote. For example: In his poem "Fire and Ice," Robert Frost (1923) says, "Some say the world will end in fire." (p. 1)
• If you don't include the author's name in the sentence that introduces the quote, provide all three pieces of information, separated by commas, in parentheses after the end of the quote. For example: "Some say the world will end in fire." (Frost, 1923, p. 1)
• Parenthetical citations should always come after the punctuation of the preceding sentence.

• If you are not referring to one specific page of the poem, you may omit the page number from your parenthetical citation, although you are encouraged to provide a page number whenever possible.

• Capitalize all major words in the title of any work.
• Put quotation marks around the titles of shorter works (such as most poems).
• Italicize or underline the title of longer works (such as anthologies).

Citing a Poem in Your Works Cited

• Author's last name, Author's first name (Year of publication). Title of work: Subtitle. Location: Publisher.

• Author's last name, Author's first name (Year of publication). Title of poem. In Editor's first and last name (Eds.), Title of book (pp. page #). Location: Publisher.

• In general, if your source does not provide a specific piece of information, it is okay to omit it from the citation.
• Note that when citing multiple pages you should notate it with "pp." instead of "p."

• For a website, include the words "Retrieved from" followed by the full web address at the end of your citation.
• For an e-book, include the e-book format in square brackets directly after the title of the book (for example, [Kindle DX version]). Then include the words "Available from" followed by the website from which you retrieved the e-book at the end of your citation.

• Capitalize only the first word of the title of a book, not every word.
• Do not surround the title of a poem with quotation marks.
• Use the title References at the top of your page.
• Alphabetize your entries by the author's last name. If you have more than one source by the same author, use the date of publication to list them chronologically.
• The first line of each citation should not be indented, but all additional lines should be indented 1 ⁄ 2 inch (1.3 cm) (two spaces) from the left margin.
• Maintain the same double spacing you have throughout the rest of your paper.
• If you are providing annotations (descriptions of your sources), provide them directly beneath your citation, indented two spaces further than the second line of your citation.

Community Q&A

• If you plan on writing a lot of papers using APA format, it's a good idea to buy a print copy of the manual or pay for online access. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• APA is not the only style guide out there, so double check that your teacher wants you to use APA. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Be sure to cite all of the sources that you quote, paraphrase, or even refer to when writing a paper so that you avoid all appearances of plagiarism. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don’t forget that you will also have to compose your entire essay or paper according to the APA style. This includes using the APA rules regarding line and paragraph spacing, typeface, margins, etc. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://libguides.swansea.ac.uk/APA7Referencing/Poetry
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/quotation_marks/quotation_marks_with_fiction.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_author_authors.html
• ↑ https://penandthepad.com/cite-poem-apa-format-5072453.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html

About This Article

If you want to cite a poem using the APA style, include your quote from a poem in quotation marks if it's less than 40 words, and use forward slashes to indicate line breaks. To cite a longer passage, begin the quote on a new line and indent it to create a block quotation. For your in-text citation, include the author's name, year of publication, and page number, preceded by the letter "p." When it comes to the title, capitalize all major words, place short titles in quotes, and italicize longer titles. To learn how to include your citation in the works cited section of your essay, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA | Format & Examples

Published on January 22, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on March 5, 2024.

The works of Shakespeare, like many plays , have consistently numbered acts, scenes, and lines. These numbers should be used in your MLA in-text citations, separated by periods, instead of page numbers.

The Works Cited entry follows the format for a book , but varies depending on whether you cite from a standalone edition or a collection. The example below is for a standalone edition of  Hamlet .

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays in your paper, replace the author’s name with an abbreviation of the play title in your in-text citation.

Scribbr’s free MLA Citation Generator can help you quickly and easily create accurate citations.

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Table of contents

Citing a play from a collection, citing multiple shakespeare plays, quoting shakespeare in mla, frequently asked questions about mla citations.

If you use a collection of all or several of Shakespeare’s works, include a Works Cited entry for each work you cite from it, providing the title of the individual work, followed by information about the collection.

Note that play titles remain italicized here, since these are works that would usually stand alone.

If you cite several works by Shakespeare , order them alphabetically by title, and replace “Shakespeare, William” with a series of three em dashes after the first one.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

If you cite more than one Shakespeare play in your paper, MLA recommends starting each in-text citation with an abbreviated version of the play title, in italics. A list of the standard abbreviations can be found here ; don’t make up your own abbreviations.

Introduce each abbreviation the first time you mention the play’s title, then use it in all subsequent citations of that play.

Don’t use these abbreviations outside of parentheses. If you frequently mention a multi-word title in your text, you can instead shorten it to a recognizable keyword (e.g. Midsummer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream ) after the first mention.

Shakespeare quotations generally take the form of verse  or dialogue .

Quoting verse

To quote up to three lines of verse from a play or poem, just treat it like a normal quotation. Use a forward slash (/) with spaces around it to indicate a new line.

If there’s a stanza break within the quotation, indicate it with a double forward slash (//).

If you are quoting more than three lines of verse, format it as a block quote (indented on a new line with no quotation marks).

Quoting dialogue

Dialogue from two or more characters should be presented as a block quote.

Include the characters’ names in block capitals, followed by a period, and use a hanging indent for subsequent lines in a single character’s speech. Place the citation after the closing punctuation.

Oberon berates Robin Goodfellow for his mistake:

No, do not use page numbers in your MLA in-text citations of Shakespeare plays . Instead, specify the act, scene, and line numbers of the quoted material, separated by periods, e.g. (Shakespeare 3.2.20–25).

This makes it easier for the reader to find the relevant passage in any edition of the text.

If you cite multiple Shakespeare plays throughout your paper, the MLA in-text citation begins with an abbreviated version of the title (as shown here ), e.g. ( Oth. 1.2.4). Each play should have its own  Works Cited entry (even if they all come from the same collection).

If you cite only one Shakespeare play in your paper, you should include a Works Cited entry for that play, and your in-text citations should start with the author’s name , e.g. (Shakespeare 1.1.4).

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2024, March 05). How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/shakespeare-citation/

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources / How to Cite a Poem in MLA

How to Cite a Poem in MLA

When writing a research essay, you may want to include poetry. It can be difficult to know how to cite a poem properly since it’s a particular type of resource that can be found online, in a book, or in an anthology.

This page contains everything you need to know to cite a poem in MLA style within your paper and on your reference page, as well as how to properly quote poems of different lengths within your paper. This page also contains information on creating your citations, formatting examples, and what details you need to compile before you can begin.

This guide follows rules established in the MLA Handbook , 9th edition, but is not officially associated with the Modern Language Association.

What You Need

Before you can create your poem citation, you will need to gather information on your source. If available, find:

• Poet’s first and last name
• Line, page number, or page range
• Title of the poem
• Year of the original and/or source publication
• Title of the book of poetry it’s in
• Title of the website it’s on
• Title of the anthology it’s in
• Name of the publishing company or website publisher
• URL (if applicable – online sources only)
• Editor(s) first and last name(s) (if applicable – anthologies only)

Citing a Poem Found Online 

Since poems can come from multiple sources, there are a few basic formats you can follow to create a citation. The formatting guidelines are different depending on where you found the poem. This section contains the basic format for any poetry you found online, including if it’s a PDF from another source.

Basic format:

Poet’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Poem.” Year of poem’s original publication (if available). Title of the Website, Name of Website Publisher, URL. Accessed day month year.

Frost, Robert. “Birches.” 1969. Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44260/birches. Accessed 1 Mar. 2020.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Begin the citation with the poet’s last name, with the first letter capitalized. Follow the last name with a comma and then the poet’s first name, also with a capitalized first letter. Follow the first name with a period.
• Put the title of the poem in quotation marks. Place a period after the title of the poem within the quotation marks. The title of the poem should be capitalized in title case (using capital letters only at the beginning of principal words).
• Put the numerical year of the poem’s original publication. You may have to do research beyond your online source for the poem to find this information. Follow the numerical year with a period.
• Put the title of the website in italics. Be sure to use title case capitalization here again. Follow the website title with a comma.
• Put the name of the website publisher in normal text (not italicized), using title case capitalization. Follow with a comma.
• Put the URL for your web source, without including https:// at the beginning. Follow the URL with a period.
• Write the word “Accessed” (with a capital A, without the quotation marks) followed by the date you looked up the web resource. The format for the date should be: the numerical day, capitalized and spelled-out month, and full numerical year. Be sure to place a period after the year to end your citation. The date should not include commas. So, for example, if the date you accessed your web source was March 12, 2020, you would finish your citation with “Accessed 12 Mar. 2020.” The access date is supplemental and may not always need to be included.

Citing a Poem from a Book

The formatting guidelines for citing a poem from a book are different from the guidelines for citing a poem found online. Note that anthologies have their own citation format. An anthology is a collection of works from different authors. This section contains the basic guidelines for citing a poem from a book. The format for anthologies is provided in the next section.

Basic Format: 

Poet’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Poem.” Title of the Book, Name of Publishing Company, Year of publication, page number or page range.

Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” Robert Frost Selected Poems, Fall River Press, 2011, p. 25.

• Put the title of the book where you read the poem in italics and title case, followed by a comma.
• Put the name of the publishing company in normal text (not italicized) as it is capitalized in the book, followed by a comma. This should be in title case since it is a proper noun. You do not need to include the location of the publisher.
• Put the numerical year of the book’s publication (which may be different from the year of the poem’s original publication), followed by a comma.
• Provide the page number(s) for the poem you are citing using “p.” or “pp.” and the page number or page range. For example, if the poem is on page 26, put p. 26. If the poem spreads across two or more pages, use “pp.” For example, if the poem is from page 26-29, put pp. 26-29. Follow the page number with a period to end your citation.

Citing a Poem from an Anthology

The guidelines for citing a poem from an anthology are different from the guidelines for citing a poem found online or even in a poetry book. An anthology is a compilation of different works from different authors or artists. The following format is for poems from an anthology.

Basic Format for a poem in an anthology: 

Poet’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Poem.” Title of Anthology, edited by Editor’s First and Last Name, edition (if applicable), volume (if applicable), Publisher, year of anthology publication, page number or page range.

Drummond, William. “Life.” The Giant Book of Poetry , edited by William Roetzheim, Level4Press Inc, 2006, p. 55.

• Put the title of the anthology where you found the poem in italics and title case, followed by a comma.
• For two editors, separate the names with the word “and” rather than an ampersand.
• For three or more editors, use commas to separate each editor’s name, using “and” only between the last two editors.
• If applicable to the anthology, include the book’s edition (e.g., 4th ed.) followed by a comma.
• If applicable to the anthology, include the book’s volume number (e.g., vol. 2) followed by a comma.
• Put the name of the publishing company in normal text (not italicized) as it is capitalized in the anthology, followed by a comma. You do not need to include the location of the publisher.

In-Text Citations

Unlike the reference page citations, MLA in-text citations for poems are generally the same regardless of the source. The examples below follow Sections 6.22 and 6.36 from the Handbook.

For in an-text citation, all you need to provide is:

• The poet’s last name
• The line number(s) or page number of the poem you are referencing

(Poet’s Last Name, line(s) #-#)

(Chaucer, lines 6-10)

If you state the author’s name within the sentence, you may just include the line numbers in parentheses instead of repeating the author’s name in the in-text citation. If no line numbers for the poem exist, do not count the lines yourself. Instead, include a page number.

As stated by Chaucer, “Thoght ye to me ne do no daliance” (line 8).

Quoting Up to Three Lines of Poetry

Using a direct quote from a poem is different from making a reference to a poem within your paper. To use a direct quote, you must put it in quotation marks.

To quote anything from a partial line of poetry up to three lines of poetry, you can simply use quotations and a “/” symbol to separate the lines, with a space on either side of the slash. Following the in-text citation guidelines in the section above, place your in-text citation at the end of your quote in parentheses, after the closing quotation marks and before the period.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – / I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference” (Frost, lines 18-20).

In Robert Frost’s poem, he states, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – / I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference” (lines 18-20).

Quoting Four or More Lines of Poetry

If you’d like to directly quote four or more lines of poetry within your paper, you will need to follow different guidelines than the ones above for three or fewer lines of poetry. When quoting four or more lines of poetry, you will not use quotation marks. Here are more formatting guidelines:

• In most cases, you will use a colon (:) at the end of the sentence before you begin your direct quote from the poem.
• After the sentence introducing the quote, leave an empty line before beginning the quote.
• You must separate a long quote from the rest of your paper by using a half-inch indent from the left throughout the quote.
• Instead of using a “ / ” to separate the lines of poetry, try to follow the original format of the poem as closely as possible.
• If a line is too long to fit across the page, use a hanging indent, so that the remainder of the line is more indented than the rest of the block quote.
• Place your in-text citation in parentheses at the end of the quote, following the last period (or other punctuation) of the quote and without punctuation after the closing parentheses. If the citation will not fit on the line, add it to the following line on the right-hand side of the page.

The poem describes choices in life by using the metaphor of a fork in the road:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth; (Frost, lines 1-5)

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Published October 21, 2013. Updated May 18, 2021.

Written by Grace Turney. Grace is a former librarian and has a Master’s degree in Library Science and Information Technology. She is a freelance author and artist.

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In-text citation for a poem can be in the following format:

• If you are quoting two or three lines of a poem, the quote should be placed within double quotation marks with a slash as a line separator, with one space on either side. (Stanzas should be separated with a double slash.) The quote should be followed by the author’s last name and the line numbers within parentheses.
• If the author’s name is already mentioned in text, only the line number should be inserted within parentheses next to the quotation.
• If there is no line number available for the poem, page numbers can be used.

William Wordsworth wrote, “The storm came on before its time: / She wandered up and down” (lines 11-12).

• If you are quoting four or more lines of a poem, your quote should be an indented block quote rather than enclosed within quotation marks.
• A colon should be placed at the end of the introductory text with a blank line following it.
• The full block quote should be indented a half inch throughout and match its original formatting as closely as possible.
• The author’s last name and line numbers should be placed at the end of the quotation within parentheses. The end period should be placed before the source.

The author was inspired by the lines of a poem: Not blither is the mountain roe: With many a wanton stroke Her feet disperse the powdery snow, That rises up like smoke. (Wordsworth, lines 13–16)

To cite a poem or short story, include the following details: the author’s name, year published, title of the poem/story, title of the book where you located or read the poem (if applicable), book editor’s first and last name (if applicable), publisher name, and page numbers.

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Practical Guide to Citing and Quoting a Poem in MLA Format with Great Examples

Working with a poem as a source? Here’s a guide to citing and quoting a poem in MLA format.

Citing a poem in MLA involves using parenthetical citations and ensuring the in-text information matches the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

Following the author-page format, you can seamlessly integrate quotes and paraphrases into your writing while properly crediting the source. Works by multiple authors, unknown authors, and those with multiple editions require specific citation guidelines that we’ll explore in detail.

Remember, accuracy and proper formatting matter when citing and quoting a poem in MLA format.

Consult the MLA Handbook and Style Manual for further guidance or specific reference questions. And don’t forget, if you need writing help, our expert writers can assist you within 2-3 hours.

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Citing and Quoting a Poem in MLA Format -How to properly cite a quote in MLA format from a poem

The basic format for an i n-text citation of a poem in MLA is to include the author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken. The author’s name can be mentioned in the sentence or enclosed in parentheses, while the page number(s) should always appear in parentheses.

Here are a few examples to illustrate how to cite poems in various scenarios:

In his poem “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost reflects on the choices we make in life (19). (Frost 19)

If you are citing multiple poems by the same author, you can include the title of the poem in your citation:

Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” emphasizes the power of optimism (4). (Dickinson, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” 4)

If you are citing a poem from a collection or anthology, you should include the page range of the specific poem:

In “The Waste Land,” T.S. Eliot explores themes of disillusionment and despair (Eliot 25-30). (Eliot 25-30)

Remember, these are just a few examples of how to cite poems in MLA format. The specific rules may vary depending on your source and edition. It’s always a good idea to consult the MLA Handbook for more detailed guidelines.

How to quote up to three lines of poetry:

• Use slashes (/) to indicate line breaks within the poem.
• Keep all punctuation intact as it appears in the poem
• Use quotation marks to denote the beginning and end of the quotation.
• Put the line numbers in parentheses and not page numbers.

Citing a Poem from Print Sources in MLA

It is important to follow the MLA guidelines to ensure accurate and proper citation for print sources such as a book, magazines, scholarly journal articles, or newspapers.

• In-text citations for poems in print sources require a signal word or phrase, typically the author’s last name, followed by the page number where the poem can be found.
• If the author’s name is already mentioned in the sentence, only the page number must be provided in parentheses.
• For example, if you cite a poem from a book by a known author, the in-text citation would follow this format: (Author’s Last Name Page Number).
• If the poem is from an article or a corporate-authored work, the format would be: (Author’s Last Name Page Number).
• Page numbers should always be provided for poems in print sources, even if the poem spans multiple pages.

Here is an example of a properly formatted in-text citation for a poem from a print source:

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility” (Wordsworth 26).

In this example, the poem is from a book by Wordsworth, and the quote can be found on page 26.

Working on a Literature Paper?

Citing a Poem from Online Sources in MLA

When citing and quoting a poem in MLA format, citing online sources is essential. This is especially important in today’s digital age, where information can be found online.

The basic format for an online poem citation includes the author’s last name, the poem’s title in quotation marks, the title of the database or website in italics, the publication date, and the URL or DOI (Digital Object Identifier).

Example: Eliot, T.S. “The Waste Land.” The Waste Land and Other Poems . Poetry Foundation, 1922, www.poetryfoundation.org.

For poems from online newspapers or magazines, the citation follows a similar format but also includes the name of the publication and the section or page number where the poem is located.

How to create a Works Cited Page in MLA

As you complete your research paper or essay, creating a Works Cited page is important to document all the sources you used

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create a well-organized Works Cited page in MLA format.

1. Start a New Page

After the last page of your paper, begin a new page and center the title “Works Cited” at the top. Make sure the page is double-spaced throughout, including the title.

2. Format Your Entries

List your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If there is no author, use the title of the work instead. Each entry should be flush with the left margin, with subsequent lines indented by 0.5 inches.

For books, include the author’s name, book title in italics, publisher, year of publication, and medium of publication. For articles, include the author’s name, article title in quotation marks, journal or website title in italics, volume and issue numbers, publication date, and medium of publication.

3. Follow the Correct Formatting

Remember to follow the specific formatting guidelines for different types of sources. For example, books are formatted differently from online articles. Double-check your entries for accuracy and consistency.

“The Works Cited page is your opportunity to give credit to the authors and creators of the works you referenced in your paper. By following the MLA guidelines for creating a Works Cited page, you are ensuring the integrity of your research and providing your readers with the necessary information to locate and evaluate the sources you used.”

Key MLA Formatting Guidelines for Citing a Poem

When citing and quoting a poem in MLA format, it’s not just about the in-text citations and Works Cited page. The formatting of your entire paper also needs to follow MLA guidelines. Let’s take a look at some key formatting rules that you need to keep in mind.

• Heading and Title – The first thing to consider is the heading and title of your paper. Your paper should have a heading that includes your name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date. The title of your paper should be centred and in the title case.
• Page Numbering and Font – Pages in your paper should be numbered consecutively in the upper right corner, starting from the first page. Use a legible font like Times New Roman or Arial, and set the font size to 12pt
• Margins and Line Spacing – The margins of your paper should be set to 1 inch on all sides. Double-space the entire paper, including the Works Cited page. Use consistent indents for paragraphs, typically half an inch.
• Formatting Titles – There are specific rules to follow when formatting the titles of sources, such as poems and books. Poem titles should be enclosed in quotation marks, while book titles should be italicized or underlined. Make sure to consult the MLA Handbook for specific formatting guidelines.

Remember to;

• Use parenthetical citations in the author-page format, with the author’s last name and page number(s) either in the sentence or in parentheses after the quotation or paraphrase.
• Match the in-text information with the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.
• Adhere to the specific guidelines for each source type, including the proper order of elements and formatting of titles.
• Accuracy and attention to detail in your citations are key to maintaining academic integrity and adequately crediting your sources.

Source Links

• https://alameda.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MLA-Handout-new-format-v2.pdf
• https://academics.umw.edu/writing-fredericksburg/files/2011/09/MLA.pdf
• https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sunycorning1020elec201819/chapter/mla-8th-edition/
• thestudycorp.com

How do I cite a poem in MLA format?

To cite a poem in MLA format, you need to include the poet’s last name and the line numbers in the text (e.g., Logan 5-7). If you are citing multiple poems from the same poet, you can include the poem’s title after the poet’s name (e.g., Wordsworth, “Gregory” 5-7). The basic format for an i n-text citation of a poem in MLA is to include the author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken. The author’s name can be mentioned in the sentence or enclosed in parentheses, while the page number(s) should always appear in parentheses.

What if I don’t know the line numbers?

If the poem does not have line numbers, you can use the page number instead (e.g., Wordsworth 25). Alternatively, you can use the poem’s title, but be sure to enclose it in quotation marks (e.g., Wordsworth, “Daffodils”).

How do I format the citation in the Works Cited page?

For the Works Cited page, the citation for a poem should follow this format: Last name, First name. “Title of Poem.” Title of Book or Anthology (in italics or underlined), edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year of publication, page range of poem.

Can I use a shortened version of the poem title in the in-text citation?

Yes, poem is long, you can use a shortened version in the in-text citation. Just make sure it is clear which poem you are referring to. You can use the first few words of the poem’s title or a keyword.

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