Poetry has the magical power to make you feel all the emotions, making it a valuable reference in academic or creative work. It makes sense to work that magic into your writing.

Mickey Mouse in Fantasia conducting an imaginary orchestra.

But before you go casting a spell on your audience, take a moment to unlock the secrets to citing poems in MLA style — you'll add to that poetic magic by making sure authors get credit for their work, and you'll give your own writing a little spark of credibility. ✨

In-Text Citation: What do I Need?

No matter what source you use, you'll have to give credit as you go.Use in-text citations to credit sources as you reference them. ✅

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When you cite a poem in MLA style, you don’t use page numbers like you would with regular text. Instead, you’re going to use line numbers to point your readers to the exact spot. 👈

An excerpt from Image created by the author

Gathering information about your source before you begin will make the process easier.

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As a general rule, your in-text citation should include:

  • Author's Last Name 🧑

    • If no author is listed, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks ("The Raven").

  • Line Number 📝

    • If the poem doesn't have line numbers (like many poems online), just skip this step or use stanza (verse) numbers if they’re available.

  • Poem Title 📜

    • If the poem is untitled, just skip this step.

  • Publication Info ✍

    • Book title, editors' names, website name, URL, etc.

In-Text Citation: Making the Magic Happen

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Like a wizard following a spell, you'll have to follow rules for your in-text citations based on how you use the poem in your paper. 🌟

Flaticon Icon Single Line Quote 📜

When using a single line from a poem, just add the author and line number in parentheses right after the quote.

A section from

Example: “Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December" (Poe 7). 👈

Flaticon Icon Multiple Line Quote 📜

When quoting multiple lines of poetry, you separate the lines with slashes (/), and add the line range.

A section from

Example: “Eagerly I wished the morrow; -vainly I had sought to borrow / From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore" (Poe 9-10). 👈

Quiz

Which of these is the correct MLA citation for quoting the first two lines from the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe?

What About Longer Quotes?

Sorceress casting spell

Longer Quotes 📜

If you're quoting a chunk of more than three lines, use block quotes (no quotation marks), keep the poem in its original format and include the author and line numbers.

A section from

Example: 👇

An essay talking about part of

A wizard stirring cauldron. Photo by Artem Maltsev on Unsplash

Pro Tip 📢

In the first use of a poem, be sure to include the word "line" before the line numbers.

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This lets the reader know that you'requoting lines of verse rather than page numbers.After that, you can simply list the line numbers.

1st Use 👇

"Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" (Blake line 20).

2nd Use 👇

"What immortal hand or eye, / Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?" (Blake 24).

Works Cited Page

In-text citations give brief references in your paper, but they aren’t enough on their own. A Works Cited page is needed at the end to list full details of your sources so readers can find them.

A person doing a magic trick with a coin.

It's like the final touch of magic! 🎇

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MLA format has its own rules for properly citing a poem on your Works Cited page. It's important to follow the rules based on what type of source the poem is from. 📚💻

Works Cited: Poem in an Anthology or Collection

Found the poem in an anthology or collection of other works? 📖

magic book Photo by Khrystyna Lyseyko on Unsplash

Include the following...

  • author ✍

  • poem title 📜

  • book title 📘

  • editor(s) 📝

  • publisher 📢

  • year 📆

  • page numbers 📄

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Format: 📢

Author's Last Name, First Name. “Title of Poem.” Title of Anthology, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of poem.

Example: 👇

Poe, Edgar Allen “Annabel Lee.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by M.H. Abrams et al., 9th ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2012, pp. 828-829.

Works Cited: Poem from an Online Source

Found the poem on a website? Just cite it like you would any other webpage. 💻

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Format: 📢

Author's Last Name, First Name. “Title of Poem.” Website Name, Publisher, Publication Date, URL.

Example: 👇

Poe, Edgar Allan. “Annabel Lee.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2024, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/448885/annabel-lee.

A young dressed as a wizard in a forest. Photo by Enis Yavuz on Unsplash

Check it Out!

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Compare each of these Works Cited entries with the rules described above:

A. Dickinson, Emily. “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Poetry Foundation, 2024, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42788/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers.

B. Dickinson, Emily. “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2024, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42788/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers.

C. Dickinson, Emily. Hope is the Thing with Feathers. Poetry Foundation, 2024, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42788/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers.

D. Dickinson, Emily. “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” Poetry Foundation, 2024, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42788/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers, Poetry Foundation.

Quiz

Which of the Works Cited entries above follows the correct format for a poem?

Pro Tips

Professor Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter. The text reads:

There are bound to be hiccups as you perfect the art of citing poetry, so keep these tips in mind when you cite a poem in MLA.

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No line numbers? 😨

If the poem you’re citing doesn’t have line numbers (looking at you, online poems), it’s cool. Just skip this part of the in-text citation or use paragraph numbers if available. 👍

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Got a different edition? 😕

If you’re quoting from a different version of a poem (say, a translation or a special edition), make sure to note it in your citation. 👍

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Use easy online citation tools. 😮

If you’re still feeling unsure, use an online citation generator. It can help you format your works cited page, so you don’t have to worry about the details! 👍

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Take Action

When you cite a poem in MLA stylecorrectly, you’re giving credit to the original poet (which is super important).

Plus, a properly cited paper makes you look way more professional and, hey, can even improve your grade! 🎓

Hermione from Harry Potter says,

Citing a poem in MLA doesn’t have to be stressful. Just follow these steps, keep it organized, and you’re good to go. You’ve got this! 💪

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