how to cite a poem in mla

Have you ever stumbled upon a poem so profound, so perfectly crafted, that you just had to include it in your academic work? Citing poetry in MLA format, while seemingly straightforward, can become surprisingly complex due to line breaks, stanza divisions, and unique formatting elements. Getting it right is crucial not only for avoiding plagiarism, but also for giving proper credit to the poet’s artistry and ensuring your readers can easily locate the source material themselves.

Accurate citation demonstrates your commitment to academic integrity and strengthens the credibility of your arguments. Whether you’re analyzing the symbolism of a Shakespearean sonnet, deconstructing the structure of a free verse poem, or simply using a single line to illustrate a point, knowing how to properly cite poetry in MLA style ensures your work is both ethical and polished. Overlooking the nuances of poetry citation can lead to misrepresentation and weaken the impact of your analysis.

Confused about citing line breaks, stanzas, or online poems?

What if the poem I’m citing is very short, like only a few lines?

When citing a very short poem, typically two or three lines, you can integrate the lines directly into your paragraph using quotation marks. Use a forward slash (/) to indicate line breaks. Be sure to include the author’s last name and the line number(s) in parentheses after the quotation.

When embedding short quotations, accuracy is key. Pay close attention to capitalization and punctuation as it appears in the original poem. For example, if the poem uses unusual capitalization or punctuation for stylistic effect, preserve that in your quotation. For example, citing the opening lines of William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow” might look like this: “so much depends / upon / a red wheel / barrow” (Williams, lines 1-4). It’s crucial to maintain the integrity of the poet’s artistic choices, even in short excerpts. Longer quotations, generally those exceeding three lines, should be formatted as a block quote. However, with particularly brief poems, incorporating even two or three lines directly into your text often provides a more fluid and readable experience for your audience. The parenthetical citation remains the same, directing readers to the full poem within your Works Cited page. Remember that context is crucial. Always introduce the quotation thoughtfully, setting the stage for its significance within your analysis.

When citing a poem online, what information do I need besides the author and title?

Besides the author and title of the poem, when citing a poem found online in MLA format, you generally need the website or anthology name, the editor or compiler if applicable, the publication date or date of access, and the URL or DOI (Digital Object Identifier).

The website or anthology name is crucial because it indicates where the poem was originally published online. This provides context for the poem’s presentation and allows readers to locate the specific version you consulted. If the poem appears within a larger collection or anthology on the website, noting the editor or compiler helps differentiate it from other works and gives credit to the individual responsible for curating the selection. The publication date, or the date you accessed the poem if a publication date isn’t available, ensures that your citation is timely and accurate, acknowledging the potential for online content to change.

Finally, including the URL (or DOI, if available) is essential. The URL provides a direct link to the poem on the internet, enabling readers to easily verify your source and read the poem themselves. The DOI is a more persistent identifier, and preferable when available, as URLs can sometimes change or break. In summary, complete and accurate citation ensures academic integrity and enables readers to follow your research trail effectively.

How should I format line breaks when quoting a poem in my paper?

When quoting poetry in your paper using MLA style, preserve the original line breaks of the poem if you are quoting three or fewer lines. Incorporate these short quotations directly into your prose, using a forward slash (/) with a space on either side to indicate the line breaks. If you quote more than three lines of poetry, set the quotation off as a block quote and maintain the original line breaks without using slashes.

For short quotations integrated into your text, ensure the forward slashes are consistently spaced for readability. For example: “In his poem, Frost writes, ‘Whose woods these are I think I know / His house is in the village though; / He will not see me stopping here.’” This method clearly signals the breaks as they appear in the original poem, while keeping the quote fluid within your sentence.

When quoting four or more lines, begin the quote on a new line, indent the entire block one inch from the left margin, and do not use quotation marks. Maintain the original line breaks, indentation, and capitalization as they appear in the poem. The parenthetical citation follows the last line of the block quote. Block quotations are particularly useful when the visual structure of the poem is integral to your analysis. For instance, the visual structure of a concrete poem would need a block quote.

How do I cite a specific stanza from a longer poem in MLA?

To cite a specific stanza from a longer poem in MLA format, you need to include the author’s name, the poem’s title, and the line numbers of the stanza you are referencing. When quoting the stanza in your text, include the line numbers in parentheses after the quotation. If you’re citing the poem multiple times, you can use the author’s last name in subsequent citations.

For example, if you are quoting lines 5-8 of William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” and the stanza is four lines long, your citation would look like this: (Wordsworth, lines 5-8). Note that “lines” is abbreviated as “lines”. The word “line” is used if citing only one line. Incorporate the quotation smoothly into your sentence, maintaining proper grammar and punctuation. Make sure the quotation marks are placed correctly around the quoted material.

When creating a Works Cited entry, include the author’s name, the poem’s title in quotation marks, the anthology or source it appears in (if applicable), the editor’s name (if applicable), the publisher, the publication year, and the page numbers where the poem can be found. Also, the first line of the entry should be flush left, and all subsequent lines should be indented half an inch. For online sources, include a URL or DOI. This full citation provides readers with all the necessary information to locate the original source.