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.
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. ✅
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. 👈
Image created by the author
Gathering information about your source before you begin will make the process easier.
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
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. 🌟
Single Line Quote 📜
When using a single line from a poem, just add the author and line number in parentheses right after the quote.
Example: “Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December" (Poe 7). 👈
Multiple Line Quote 📜
When quoting multiple lines of poetry, you separate the lines with slashes (/), and add the line range.
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?
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.
Example: 👇
Photo by Artem Maltsev on UnsplashPro Tip 📢
In the first use of a poem, be sure to include the word "line" before the line numbers.
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.
It's like the final touch of magic! 🎇
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? 📖
Photo by Khrystyna Lyseyko on UnsplashInclude the following...
author ✍
poem title 📜
book title 📘
editor(s) 📝
publisher 📢
year 📆
page numbers 📄
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. 💻
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.
Photo by Enis Yavuz on UnsplashCheck it Out!
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
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.
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. 👍
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. 👍
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! 👍
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! 🎓
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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