How To Cite Lines Of Poetry

Citing lines of poetry can prove to be a tricky endeavour, especially in HTML. Between the little-known formatting rules to the required punctuation, getting something as small as a poem citation can appear daunting. Luckily, it is not as difficult as it seems. All that is required is a basic knowledge of HTML and an understanding of the most commonly used rules.
When citing a line of poetry in HTML, the first piece of information required is the author and title of the poem. It is good practice to italicise the title to signify that the work is a poem. This can be accomplished within a web page by wrapping the title in the tags. For example: The Sea Sings. Additionally, the author’s name also needs to be noted. This can be done by giving their last name and initials to avoid any confusion. In this instance this would look like The Sea Sings by E.M. Smith. This line is the main source of identification for the reader and the one that needs to be referenced when citing the actual lines of poetry.
Once the initial information is available, the specific lines of poetry need to be cited. It is important to note that the title still needs to be included within the citation, alongside the line numbers. For example: In The Sea Sings (2-4), Smith speaks of the… or In Smith’s Sea Sings (5-8), the character starts to… Depending on the styling requirements of the web page, the reference can either appear within the tags along with the title or in separate tags to make it more visible.
If a lengthy poem is being quoted, it is important to note the number of lines that are going to be included. For example, when quoting five lines of poetry, it should be noted as (2-6) rather than (2, 3, 4, 5, 6). This type of formatting is also useful when more than one line is required. Many web pages indent lines of poetry and use quotation marks to denote a quote, but this is not required when citing a line of poetry in HTML, as the indent and quotation marks can be programmed into the HTML manually.
To ensure the line is correctly formatted, it is important that the spacing and punctuation of the quoted line matches the original poem. This includes the use of the author’s original apostrophes, hyphens and any other punctuation that have been used in the original source. The coding for all of these elements should be included in the HTML, as HTML can still render these marks even if they are not visible in the text editor.
Many times a web reference needs to be given for the poem being cited, as readers may want to find the original source. This can be done by including an HTML link to the poem contained in tags. Additionally, author biographies and further information can be linked in the same way, allowing readers to gain further knowledge of the poem and its author. Links should contain the full web address in order to ensure the reader will be taken to the correct page.

Poetry Citation Formats

When citing a line of poetry in HTML, there are different formats that can be used. The most commonly used is the parenthetical format. This format requires the author and poem title to be given in the same reference as the line being quoted, separated by commas. It should look like this: ‘The sea sings a magic song’ (Smith, The Sea Sings, 15). The main advantage of this form is its simplicity, making it the preferred citation style for simpler HTML references.
Another commonly used format is the name-title format. This is where the author’s name appears first and then the title of the poem is given directly afterwards. Generally, this form is used for large quotes or when using multiple references from the same poem. For example: Smith, The Sea Sings, states that ‘the waves crash against the shore line.’ This format is useful when referencing multiple lines of poetry, as they can be kept in the same reference, instead of having to create multiple parenthetical citations.

The Notes Style Format

Finally, there is the notes style format. This format requires the full reference to be placed at the end of the line or quote, after a small footnote citation. This format looks like this: ‘The sea sings a magic song’1. This citation format can be time consuming to insert within the HTML code, but can be a useful reference if the source of the poem needs to be explained in detail.

Writing Tips

Writing a poem reference in HTML can be made much simpler by following some basic tips. Firstly, it is important to make sure the HTML code follows the correct standards. The code should be easily readable and the references should appear in the correct places. Secondly, make sure the poem’s title is italicised to differentiate the work from the rest of the text. Additionally, the use of quotation marks should be kept to a minimum as they can break up the flow of the poem. Finally, always use the author’s official name and spelling to avoid any confusion.

Punctuation Guidelines

When citing a line of poetry, punctuation needs to be taken into consideration. This includes any apostrophes and hyphens that appear in the line of poetry. These should be included within the HTML code, using their special coding. Additionally, if a poem includes an end-line punctuation, then this should also be inserted into the code. This can be done by using the \ to signify the end-line break, for example the poem line ‘The sea sings a magic song.’ should be entered into the HTML code as ‘The sea sings a magic song\.’

Using Quotes

When writing a reference to a line of poetry in HTML, quotation marks should always be used. However, it is important to remember that the quote marks should be placed around the entire line, including the punctuation and any other formatting. The HTML code should look something like this: “The sea sings a magic song.” Often, the quotation marks do not appear in the text editor, so the code must be written in such a way that the quotation marks are included in the HTML code.
Citing lines of poetry in HTML can be a tricky process. With so many rules and conventions to follow, it can be difficult to ensure that the reference is formatted correctly. But by following these guidelines, it should be possible to correctly cite lines of poetry in HTML with no problems. all that is required is a basic knowledge of HTML and an understanding of the most commonly used rules.

Minnie Walters is a passionate writer and lover of poetry. She has a deep knowledge and appreciation for the work of famous poets such as William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and many more. She hopes you will also fall in love with poetry!

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