The Poetry Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to promoting poetry by publishing and supporting poetry worldwide. They have an online library that allows its users to find, share, and enjoy poetry from all types of writers and cultures, from ancient works to modern classic poets. While this library of poetry is made available for readers to enjoy, it is important to give proper credit to the authors of these works when referencing them.
In HTML format, citing a poem from the Poetry Foundation requires only a few simple steps. To begin, place the authors name in double angle brackets, followed by the work’s title in quotation marks. In the next angle brackets, type in the full URL of the page on the Poetry Foundation website, followed by a publication date if available. Finally, the source should be closed off in single angle brackets. As an example, the full HTML code for a poem by the American poet Walt Whitman would look like:
<Walt Whitman, “O Captain! My Captain!” <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53283/o-captain-my-captain>, 1891>
It is also important to note that the same guidelines apply when referencing a poem in a paper, report, or presentation. Though the syntax will vary from the HTML format, the author’s name, poem title, and Poetry Foundation website will still need to be included for proper attribution.
In addition, readers of online poems should be aware that the copyright of the work does not transfer ownership to the user; it remains with the author or publisher. For this reason, it is not recommended to use any of the material from the Poetry Foundation for commercial purposes without permission from the author.
Citing Multiple Authors and Works from the Poetry Foundation
When citing multiple authors and works from the Poetry Foundation, the same rules apply. However, in this case, it is important to make sure to list each author and the poem they wrote in their proper order. For example, if citing two poets, the code would look something like:
<Walt Whitman, “O Captain! My Captain!” <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53283/o-captain-my-captain>, 1891>
<Emily Dickinson, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43221/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers>, 1941>
When citing multiple works within the same source, it is recommended to use semicolons or a separate list to distinguish each work. For example, a list of three poems by Walt Whitman should look like this:
<Walt Whitman, “O Captain! My Captain!”, “Song of Myself”, “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”; <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53283/o-captain-my-captain>, 1891>
In-Text Citation
In-text citations for poetry follow a similar convention as any other source. When using the poem in a discussion, the authors name should be included in parentheses. If more than one author is being referenced, all names should be included, separated by commas. As an example, the full in-text citation for the Poetry Foundation example would be: (Whitman, 1891).
It is important to note that if the poem is directly quoted in the paper, the page number should also be included in the citation. This page number can be found by hovering over the poem on the Poetry Foundation website.
MLA Citation
When citing a poem from the Poetry Foundation in MLA format, the same conventions apply as the HTML format. To begin, the author’s name should be written in full, followed by the poem title, and the URL of the page. It should look something like this:
Whitman, Walt. “O Captain! My Captain!”. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53283/o-captain-my-captain
The date of publication should be included after the URL, though if not known, it can be replaced with n.d. as in:
Whitman, Walt. “O Captain! My Captain!”. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53283/o-captain-my-captain n.d.
APA Citation
When citing a poem from the Poetry Foundation in APA format, the same conventions still apply. To start, the author’s name should be written in full, followed by the poem title, the source (Poetry Foundation), and the URL of the page. It should look something like this:
Whitman, W. (1891). O captain! My captain!. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53283/o-captain-my-captain
If the poem is a part of a larger work such as an anthology, it is important to include the title of the work after the poem title. For example, if the poem was part of the anthology Leaves of Grass, the syntax would be something like:
Whitman, W. (1891). O captain! My captain! from Leaves of Grass. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53283/o-captain-my-captain
Conclusion
Citing poetry from the Poetry Foundation does not have to be a difficult task, as long as you follow the proper guidelines. To begin, the authors name should be placed in double angle brackets and followed by the poem’s title and the full URL of the page. The same conventions should be followed when creating in-text citations and when citing in MLA and APA format. Finally, it is important to remember that the copyright of the work remains with the author or publisher, and so permission should be obtained if any of the material is used for commercial purposes.
Copyright and Fair Use
When citing a poem, it is important to be aware of copyright and fair use laws. Copyright laws protect authors and publishers from others illegally using their work, while fair use laws allow limited use of copyrighted material for critiques, research, and commentary. In some cases, citing a poem from the Poetry Foundation may be protected under these laws, and so it is important to check the relevant copyright laws for the work in question.
To ensure proper citation of the poem, readers should check with the author and/or publisher to ensure they are not violating copyright laws. Some authors are willing to grant permission for the work to be used as long as proper attribution is given. If the author or publisher is not willing to provide permission, then users should consider alternatives to direct quoting of the poem.
Attribution Requirements
When citing a poem from the Poetry Foundation, proper attribution is required in order to give credit where it is due. This generally includes the authors name, title of the work, the source (Poetry Foundation), and a link to the poem’s page. Depending on the chosen syntax, it is also important to include the date of publication, as well as any other relevant information such as the poem’s place in an anthology. Finally, proper in-text citations are also important in order to give due credit to the author.
Resources and Further Reading
Finding proper materials to cite a poem from the Poetry Foundation can often be a difficult task, and so there are a few helpful resources to ease the search. The Poetry Foundation itself is a great source of poems, as it contains extensive collections that range from ancient works to modern classics. Additionally, local libraries may also contain anthologies or books of poems that can be cited when referencing a specific work.
Finally, there are also a few websites that provide helpful guides on how to cite poetry in various formats, as well as helpful tips and best practices. Some of the more popular sites include Purdue OWL, Easybib, and Citation Machine, which provide step-by-step instructions for citing in a number of different formats.
In conclusion, citing a poem from the Poetry Foundation does not have to be difficult. Following the guidelines presented in this article, as well as the recommended resources, will ensure that the work is properly attributed and credited to its author.
