How to Cite a Poem in MLA and Other Citation Styles

Poetry is a form of literary expression that can enrich our understanding of the world and ourselves. 

However, when we use poems as sources in our academic papers, we need to follow the rules of citation to give proper credit to the original authors and avoid plagiarism. 

In this blog post, we will show you how to cite a poem in MLA and other citation styles, such as APA, Chicago, and Harvard. 

So, without making you wait any longer, let’s get right into it!

Citing a Poem in MLA Style

To cite a poem according to theMLA formatting guidelines, you need to include the following information in your Works Cited list:

• Name of the poet
• Title of the poem (in quotation marks)
• Title of the book, anthology, or website where the poem was published (in italics)
• Name of the editor, translator, or compiler (if any)
• Edition, volume, or issue number (if any)
• Publisher
• Year of publication
• Page number or range where the poem appears
• URL or DOI (if online)

This is how you cite a poem and use parenthetical citations in MLA style.

Format: Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." Title of Book, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, page number(s).

In-text Citation: (Last Name page number)

Example:

Citing a Poem Without Author

Here is a format of how to cite a poem without an author in MLA:

Format: "Title of Poem." Title of Book, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, page number(s).

In-text Citation Format: ("Shortened Title of Poem" page number)

Example:

Citing a Poem Without a Date

Use this format to cite a poem without a date in MLA:

Format: Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." Title of Book, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, n.d., page number(s).

In-text Citation: (Last Name page number)

Example:

Citing a Poem Online

Here is how you can cite a poem online in MLA:

Format: Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." Original Publication Year, Title of Website, Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.

In-text Citation:  (Last Name)

Example:

Citing a Translated Poem

Use the format below to cite a translated poem in MLA:

Format: Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." Translated by Translator's Name, Title of Book, Publisher, Year, page number(s).

In-text Citation: (Last Name page number)

Example:

Quoting Lines of a Poem

When you quote lines of a poem in your text, you need to use quotation marks and cite the source in parentheses. You also need to use a slash (/) to indicate line breaks and a double slash (//) to indicate stanza breaks. 

Take a look at the example below to have a better understanding of quoting different line numbers of a poem:

If you quote more than three lines of poetry, you need to use a block quotation. A block quotation is indented one inch from the left margin and does not use quotation marks. You also need to maintain the original line and stanza breaks of the poem. 

Take a look at the example below to have a better understanding of quoting 4+ lines or a stanza of a poem:

Citing a Poem in Different Citation Styles

MLA is not the only citation style that you may encounter in your academic writing. Depending on your discipline, you may need to use other citation styles, such as APA, Chicago, or Harvard. 

Here are different citation styles and formats you can use for citing poems:

Citing a Poem in APA

To cite a poem in APA style, you need to include the following information in your reference list:

Here is a format you can use:

Format: Last Name, First Name Initials. (Year). Title of poem. In First Name Initial. Last Name (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.

In-text Citation: (Last Name, Year, pages)

Example:

Citing a Poem in Chicago

Chicago Style is used in the humanities and social sciences.  Here is how you can cite a poem in Chicago style (Notes-Bibliography):

Full note: First Name Last Name, "Title of Poem," in Title of Book, ed. Editor's Name (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number(s).

Short note: Last Name, "Title of Poem," Page number(s).

Here is how you can cite a poem in Chicago style (Author-Date Format):

Bibliography Entry Format: Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Poem." In Title of Book, edited by Editor's Name, page number(s). Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.

Example:

Citing a Poem in Harvard

Harvard is a citation style used in many disciplines. This style uses parenthetical citations or author-date style. 

Here is a format you can use:

Format: Last Name, First Name Initial. (Year) 'Title of Poem’, in Last Name, First Name. (ed.) Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, pp. xx-xx.

In-text Citation: (Last Name, Year)

Example: 

Free Citation Machine by PerfectEssayWriter.ai

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All you need to do is enter the information about the source, and our citation machine will do the rest. You can also check your paper for plagiarism and grammar errors with our free tools. 

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