Citing Poetry in the MLA Format
Citing poetry accurately is a key component in scholarly writing. Poetry citations can be more challenging since lines and stanzas are often broken up with slashes, asterisks, and superscript numbers. It is important to use the correct format when citing poetry. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style uses a straightforward system for citing sources that have multiple conventions.
When using the MLA format, poetry citations should include the author’s name, the title of the poem in quotation marks, the book it is found in, the editor of the book, the publisher of the book, and the year it was published. A typical citation looks like this:
Author’s name. “Title of Poem.” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year Published, page numbers.
In the case of poems, MLA rules state that if there are two or more lines of text, they should be divided with a slash. When citing multiple lines, the lines should be strung together and separated by the slashes. For example, the following lines from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 would be cited as:
Shakespeare, William. “My Mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun./Coral is far more red, than her lips red.” The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works, edited by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, Oxford University Press, 2008, p. 1177.
In the case of a verse play, the act and scene numbers should be used in place of page numbers. The citation format for a verse play is as follows:
Author’s Name. “Title of Poem.” Title of Play, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year Published, Act.Scene.
For example, these lines from Romeo and Juliet within an Oxford edition of Shakespeare’s works would be cited as:
Shakespeare, William. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other word would smell as sweet.” The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works, edited by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, Oxford University Press, 2008, II.ii.
Citing Poetry Found Online
When citing a poem found online, the MLA format should include the name of the website, the editor or sponsor of the site, the web address, and the date it was accessed. The citation should look like this:
Author’s Name. “Title of Poem.” Name of Site, edited or sponsored by Sponsor of Site, URL, Date Accessed.
For example, if a poem was written by the poet John Smith and was found on the website Poetry.com, the citation should look like this:
Smith, John. “The Power of Poetry.” Poetry.com, edited by Peacemaker Publications, LLC, https://www.poetry.com/the-power-of-poetry, accessed 12 April 2019.
Citing Poetry in Hyperlinks
When including a hyperlink for a poem in an essay or research paper, it is important to include the following information: the author of the poem, the title of the poem, the URL, and the date the website was last accessed. This can be done in either MLA or APA style.
In MLA, the format is as follows:
Author’s Name. “Title of Poem.” Name of Website, edited or sponsored by Sponsor of Site, URL, Date Accessed.
In APA, the format is as follows:
Author’s Last Name, First Initial. (Year Published). Title of Poem. Name of Website. Retrieved from URL
For example, a poem found on Poetry.com written by John Smith would be cited as follows:
MLA: Smith, John. “The Power of Poetry.” Poetry.com, edited by Peacemaker Publications, LLC, https://www.poetry.com/the-power-of-poetry, accessed 12 April 2019.
APA: Smith, J. (n.d.) “The Power of Poetry.” Poetry.com. Retrieved from https://www.poetry.com/the-power-of-poetry
Enhancing the Citation
To enhance the visual look of the citation, writers may wish to italicize certain words in the poem’s title. This can be done in both MLA and APA formats.
For example, the poem “The Power of Poetry” by John Smith published on Poetry.com is cited as:
MLA: Smith, John. “The Power of Poetry.” Poetry.com, edited by Peacemaker Publications, LLC, https://www.poetry.com/the-power-of-poetry, accessed 12 April 2019.
APA: Smith, J. (n.d.) “The Power of Poetry.” Poetry.com. Retrieved from https://www.poetry.com/the-power-of-poetry
Alternative Citation Styles
While MLA and APA are the two most common citation styles for academic writing, there are other styles to consider. Chicago and IEEE are two other popular styles for citing poetry. The Chicago style follows the same general format, but the citation appears at the end of the sentence rather than within parentheses, and a bibliography or list of works cited is included at the end of the paper. The citation includes the author’s name followed by the title of the poem in quotation marks, the book or website it is found in, and the year it was published.
In IEEE, only the author’s name and the title of the poem are included in the citation. The title is not enclosed in quotation marks and the year of publication is not necessary.
Formatting Quotations
When quoting a poem, the lines should be formatted differently than in regular prose. The lines should be separated by a forward slash (/) and the entire quotation should be enclosed by quotation marks. For example, the following lines from William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 can be quoted as:
“My Mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun./Coral is far more red, than her lips red.”
When quoting a poem, it is important to provide information about the source so that readers can locate the poem. The source information should be included in the sentence or in a footnote or endnote.
Moving Beyond Citations
When writing about poetry, citations should not be the only focus. The point of the essay should be to go beyond the citation and to analyze the meaning of the poem and its themes, symbols, and stylistic devices. Citing a poem accurately is an essential part of academic writing, but it should not limit the essay’s focus.
Dissecting Poetic Language
When dissecting a poem, one must consider the poet’s word choice, syntax, and meter in addition to the meaning of the words and their connotations. An in-depth analysis of a poem can reveal much about the poet and their sensibilities. Additionally, exploring the context of the poem—the time period, the cultural background, and any social issues—can help to further unravel the poem’s context and meaning.
Poetic Devices
Poets often use various poetic devices to craft their work. These devices include, but are not limited to, alliteration, assonance, internal rhyme, puns, metaphor, and simile. Knowing the meaning of these devices and their purpose in the poem is essential for a comprehensive analysis of the work.
Syntax and Meter
The structure of a poem is an essential consideration when attempting to glean its meaning. The rhythmic patterns that the poem follows are called its meter and the ordering of words within the sentences is called syntax. Examining the poem’s structure as well as its words can help a reader to uncover its depths.
Analyzing Poetry in Contemporary Contexts
An analysis of a poem can reveal the way in which it speaks to its own historical period, or how it speaks to a modern audience. Exploring the poem in a historical sense can help one to understand how various social and political issues facing the culture at the time might have impacted the work. In addition, one can explore how the poem might reflect on a modern audience, and how its words may still resonate today.
Crossing Disciplines
Exploring a poem through various disciplines can be a rewarding experience. Connecting works of literature to fields such as science, history, Psychology, and anthropology can create interesting insights and increase understanding of the poem.