how to quote a poem in an essay chicago style

Chicago/Turabian Citation Guide (17th Edition): Poetry

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About These Examples

The following examples are for the  Notes-Bibliography  system of Chicago/Turabian. This means that you are citing your courses using either footnotes or endnotes. If your teacher has asked you to cite your sources using in-text citations in brackets, visit this page to find out how to format these citations in the Author-Date system of Chicago/Turabian.

On This Page: Poetry

Poetry taken from an edited collection.

• Poetry Taken From a Website

In-Text Citation Rules for Poetry

Abbreviating months.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author of Poem's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem."  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any , edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and is not first, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of Publication, pp. Page Numbers of the Poem.

Learn more: See the  MLA Handbook , pp. 78-79, 121-122

Poetry Taken from a Website

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." Title of Website, Name of Organization Affiliated with the Website, Date of copyright or date last modified/updated, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited .

Learn more: See the  MLA Handbook,  pp. 121-122

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How To Quote Poetry Chicago Style

Quote poetry can be a tricky thing to do correctly. Citing poetry correctly is especially important when it comes to academic writing because it helps add to the credibility of the paper. When it comes to citing poetry, Chicago Style is one of the most popular forms of citation. This guide will walk you through how to correctly cite poetry in Chicago Style.

In-text Citation

When citing poetry in-text, provide two pieces of information—the author’s name and the line you are quoting. If the author’s name is not mentioned in the sentence, you should put the name in parentheses after the quotation. However, if the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, you don’t need to include it. Here’s and example of both formats:

• “Our city’s people find ways to keep going” (King).
• As King states, “Our city’s people find ways to keep going”.

It’s also important to note that when quoting poetry, Chicago Style allows for line breaks in the quoted text. This means that you don’t need to include the slashes to indicate that a line break has been used.

Disambiguating Quotes

Sometimes it may be helpful to add an extra bit of information after a quotation in order to make its meaning more clear. When it comes to citing poetry Chicago Style allows for an endnote to be appended to the quote to provide further clarification. The information should be provided after the period that ends the sentence. Here’s a example: “Our city’s people find ways to keep going.”1 For this example the endnote could read: 1. King, line 15.

Bibliography Entries

When it comes to citing poetry Chicago Style requires bibliography entries for each source cited. The information concerning how to create a bibliography entry for a poem can be found in the Chicago Manual of style. Here is an example of what a bibliography entry for a poem in Chicago Style should look like: King, Martin Luther Jr. “The Dream.” Race and Education Project, edited by Chester S. Williams and Patricia A. Williams, University Press of America, 1981: 60-1

Short Quotations

Short quotations are defined as 20 words or less. For short quotations you don’t need to include a bibliography entry, but if you do choose to include one make sure to follow the same rules that are stated above.

Long Quotations

Long quotations are defined as 21 words or more. When it comes to citing long quotations in Chicago Style, the text of the quotation should be indented across from the regular margin. Here is an example of how the quotation looks after it’s been properly indented: Our city’s people find ways to keep going.2 2. King, line 15. It’s also important to note that for long quotations you do not need to include quotation marks.

Free Verse Poetry

When it comes to citing free verse poetry in Chicago Style there are a few extra rules that need to be followed. When citing free verse poetry, make sure to include the title of the poem and the line number instead of the page number in the bibliography entry.

Citing poetry correctly is important when it comes to credibility of a paper. Knowing how to cite poetry correctly in Chicago Style can save you valuable time. Be sure to keep the rules stated in this guide in mind when it comes to citing poetry Chicago Style.

Minnie Walters

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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How to Cite a Poem in Chicago Footnote Referencing

• 4-minute read
• 17th March 2020

If you’re studying literature, there’s a good chance you’ll write about poetry in your work . But how do you cite a poem? Here, we’ll look at how to format the footnote citation and reference list entry for a poem in Chicago referencing.

Footnote Citations for Poems

Chicago footnote referencing, as set out in the Chicago Manual of Style , uses superscript numbers in text (e.g. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ) that point to a footnote citation. What that footnote citation looks like depends on where you found the poem:

• For a poem published as a standalone book or in an anthology with a single author, you would use the standard book format .
• If a poem was published in a periodical, you would use the magazine/newspaper format or the journal article format (for periodicals with volume and issue numbers).
• For poems published as part of an anthology or collection with several authors, you would cite it as a chapter from an edited book.
• For poems found online, cite them as a page on a website.

The two most common formats are probably the edited book and website formats. We will look at these in more detail below.

Citing a Poem from an Edited Book

If a poem is from an edited book, such as an anthology , the footnote format is:

n. Author name, ‘Title of poem’, in Book , ed. Editor(s) name (City: Publisher, Year of Publication), page number(s).

In practice, then, we would cite a poem from an edited book as follows:

1. Frank O’Hara, ‘Meditations in an Emergency’, in The Poetry of Crisis, ed. Donald Allen (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995), 197–198.

And to cite the same poem later in the document, you can use a shortened footnote format (i.e. either just the author’s surname for consecutive citations or the author’s name and the title for non-consecutive citations).

Citing a Poem from a Website

If you found a poem on a website, the footnote citation would look like this:

n. Author name, ‘Title of poem’, Publishing Organisation or Name of Website, publication/last modified/accessed date, URL.

If the website provides a publication or modification date, then use this in the footnote. Otherwise, you can include a date of access instead:

2. Anne Carson, ‘The Glass Essay’, Poetry Foundation, accessed 29 January 2020. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48636/the-glass-essay.

As above, you can use a shortened footnote format for repeat citations.

Quoting a Poem in Chicago Referencing

When you quote a poem in Chicago referencing, you can also give line or stanza numbers after the page numbers in a citation. For instance, if we quoted lines 14 and 15 of a poem, we would cite it like this:

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3. Frank O’Hara, ‘Meditations in an Emergency’, in The Poetry of Crisis, ed. Donald Allen (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995), 197–198, lines 14–15.

To quote whole stanzas, moreover, use ‘st.’ instead of ‘lines’.

Poems in a Chicago Reference List: Edited Book

When it comes to creating the reference list entry for a poem, the format again depends on where the poem is published. This will be similar to the first footnote citation, except you should give the author’s surname first.

Here, for example, we have the format for a poem from an edited book:

Author Surname, First Name. ‘Title of Poem’. In Book , edited by Editor(s) name, page number(s). City: Publisher, Year of Publication.

As you can see, we also replace ‘ed.’ with ‘edited by’, move the page number in front of the publication information, and the punctuation is different.

The bibliography entry for the poem from the anthology cited above would be:

O’Hara, Frank. ‘Meditations in an Emergency’, in The Poetry of Crisis, edited by Donald Allen, 197–198. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995.

Poems in a Chicago Reference List: Online

For a poem published online, the format is as follows:

Author Surname, First Name. ‘Title of Page’. Publishing Organisation or Name of Website. Publication/last modified/accessed date. URL.

The poem from the website above would thus look like this:

Carson, Anne. ‘The Glass Essay’. Poetry Foundation. Accessed 29 January 2020. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48636/the-glass-essay.

So, whether the poem you’re citing is online or from an anthology, you can now cite it in Chicago footnote referencing. And if you’d like an expert to check your references, why not upload a document for proofreading ?

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Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Poetry

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Poetry taken from an edited collection.

• Poetry Taken From a Website

1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Poem,"   in  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any ,   Edition if given and is not first edition, ed. Editor's First Name Last Name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number.

Bibliography Entry:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem."   In  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Page Range of Chapter or Part. Place of publication: Publisher, Year.

  In a footnote, cite specific pages. In the bibliography, include the page range for the chapter or part.

Poetry Taken from a Website

1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Poem," Title of Website, Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website], Date of copyright or modification or access, URL. 

Bibliography:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." Title of Website. Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website]. Date of copyright or modification or access. URL.

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Chicago Style Guide - 17th Edition

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Chicago Manual of Style - Online

• Chicago Manual of Style Online This link opens in a new window Access to the 17th edition of Chicago writing and citation style guides. Includes the full contents, a quick guide, help & tools, Q&A, etc.

A quotation is a collection spoken or written words repeated in speech or text by someone other than the original speaker or author. Quoting the work and ideas of others in your assignments helps to demonstrate that you have undertaken some scholarly research  as well as helps  establish credibility for your topic or position. In order to avoid plagiarism, you must  acknowledge all the resources  (oral, print, and electronic) that you used in your research. 

Short Quotations

A quotation of four or less lines should be cited within quotation marks (appearing at the beginning and end of the quote). The end punctuation of the quotation (e.g., period, question mark, exclamation mark) should be contained within the quotation marks . The  footnote should be inserted after the closing quotation mark . 

Block Quotations

Quotations of five or more lines should be put into “ blocked ” formatting. Blocked quotations require no quotation marks ; however, to properly format the quotation you need to:

• Single-space the quotation (this will visually contrast with the double-spacing of the rest of your paper);
• Indent each line  of the quotation ½ inch from the left margin;
• Create an extra line of space immediately before and after the quotation;
• Add the footnote at the end of the quote .

Quoting and Paraphrasing – Signal Phrases

Signal Phrases

Signal phrases are ways to lead into or introduce  a source or quote.

When introducing your sources, Chicago style uses verbs in the present tense (for details, see sec. 5.129 of  The Chicago Manual of Style. 17 th  ed.  and Chicago Style Q & A ).  

A signal phrase often names the author of the source and provides context . Include:

• the full name of the author the first time you refer to them – (Jean Barman says " . . . " 14 ).
• the author's last name only in subsequent references – (Barman emphasizes " . . . " 16 ).

Examples of Signal Phrases

Try one of these signal phrases to create a smooth transition in your text:

• Historian Sylvia Van Kirk insists that ". . ." 1
• Andrew Mclaughlin suggests ". . ." 6
• Van Kirk points out ". . ." 9
• Mclaughlin reports ". . ." 12

Other signal words include:

• demonstrates

This information on signal phrases has been adapted from: Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers.  A Canadian Writer's Reference. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012.

How to avoid plagiarism

Avoiding Plagiarism

When writing an academic paper, you must  acknowledge all the resources  (oral, print, or web) that you used in your research. Not only does this allow your instructor to locate the sources you mention, it prevents you from being accused of  plagiarism . In most instances, plagiarism is unintentional; it can be confusing to know what to cite. In general, it is better to be safe than sorry.

• Have you taken an exact quote from your original source?   

If yes, then you need to quote the source and provide a page number in your in-text citation. You must give them credit.

• Have you paraphrased from your original source?

If yes, then you still must provide citation information. In Chicago and MLA styles you must provide a page number. In APA, you don't have to provide page numbers though it is recommended.

• You include information that you think is “common knowledge” such as: Victoria is the Capital of British Columbia. Do you need to cite this information?

No, you do not need to cite information that is considered "common knowledge."

• Is it plagiarism to cut and paste from an electronic document without acknowledging the source?   

Absolutely. Just because it is easy to do, doesn't make it right. Cite the source!

• You’ve added a statistic found on the Statistics Canada website. Since it is a government site, you do not need to cite the source. Is that correct?

No, it is not. Even government information must be cited.

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How do I reference a poem, using Chicago style, that is part of an edited collection?

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The format to follow is similar to a book chapter citation, for example, a poem from the edited collection, Seven Centuries of Poetry in English would look like this:

First footnote:

3. Seamus Heaney, "The Railway Children,"  Seven Centuries of Poetry in English , ed. John Leonard, 5th ed (South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2003), lines 7-8. 

Subsequent footnotes:

5. Heaney, "The Railway Children," 11.

Note: you can omit "line" or "lines" from the shortened footnote as long as the numbering you're using has been explained in the first footnote.

Bibliography:

Heaney, Seamus. "The Railway Children." Seven Centuries of Poetry in English , edited by John Leonard. 5th ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Further examples can be found in the complete Chicago Manual of Style - see links below.

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Citing a poem in Chicago Style

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Published February 9, 2021. Updated August 5, 2021.

To cite a poem in Chicago style, you need to know basic information including the poem’s title, how the poem is organized (act, line, stanza, etc.), the author’s name, the title of the book or anthology in which the poem appears, the book publication date, the publisher’s name, and the place of publication. When citing an online poem, you will also need the URL.

The templates and examples below are based on  the Chicago Manual of Style , 17th Edition and  the Chicago Manual of Style website .

If you’re trying to cite a poem, the  Chegg Writing Chicago citation generator  could help. Help protect your paper against accidental plagiarism with the Chegg Writing  plagiarism checker  and  citation generator .

Citing a poem from a book in Chicago style

Notes-bibliography format.

Notes citation template and example:

Example sentence. 1

Author First Name Surname, “Title of the Poem,” in Title of the Book, (Publisher location: Publisher name, Publication date), poetry division locator and/or number(s). References are to a specific poetry division such as act, scene, stanza, or line.

The current year has commenced as per plan. 1

Daniel Baker, “Fives Odes on Absence,” in Scavenger Loop: Poems , (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015), 10-12. References are to line.

When you cite a source in the first instance, provide full information in the note. If the same source is cited in multiple instances, you can provide only short information for the source such as the surname of the author and up to four words of the book title or poem title, and poetry division numbers or other locators (without the specific labels).

2. Baker, Scavenger Loop , 10-12.

2. Baker, “Five Odes on Absence,” 10-12.

Bibliography entry template and example:

Author Surname, First Name. “Title of the Poem.” In  Book Title,  poetry division locator and/or number(s). References are to specific poetry division such as act, scene, stanza, or line. Publisher Location: Publisher name, Publication Year.

Baker, Daniel. “Five Odes on Absence.” In  Scavenger Loop: Poems , 10-12 .  References are to line. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.

Author-Date format

In-text citation template and example:

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname Publication Year)

(Baker 2015)

Author Surname (Publication Year)

Baker (2015)

Reference list entry template and example:

Surname, First Name. Year. “Title of the Poem.” In  Book Title , poetry division locator and/or number(s). References are to specific poetry division such as act, scene, stanza, or line. Publisher Location: Publisher name.

Baker, Daniel. 2015. “Fives Odes on Absence.” In  Scavenger Loop: Poems , 10-12. References are to line. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

The poem title is set in title case and surrounded by double quotation marks. Note the separator after each element.

Read this  Chicago style format  guide for more style basics.

Citing a poem from an anthology in Chicago style

Author First Name Surname, “Title of the Poem,” in Title of the Anthology , ed. Editor First Name Surname (Publisher location: Publisher Name, Publication Year), page number(s) .

Maya Angelou, “Human Family,” in A Poem for Every Day of the Year , ed. Allie Esiri (London: Macmillan Children’s Books, 2017), 33.

When you cite a source in the first instance, provide full information in the first note. If the same source is cited in multiple instances, you can provide only short information of the source such as the surname of the author, up to four words of the title, and a page number.

2. Angelou, “Human Family,” 33.

Author Surname, First Name. “Title of the Poem.” In  Book Title, edited by Editor First Name Surname, page number(s). Publisher Location: Publisher name, Publication Year.

Angelou, Maya. “Human Family.” In  A Poem for Every Day of the Year , edited by Allie Esiri, 33. London: Macmillan Children’s Books, 2017.

 Author-Date format

Author Surname (Anthology Publication Year)

Angelou (2017)

(Author Surname Anthology Publication Year)

(Angelou 2017)

Author Surname, First Name. Year. “Title of the Poem.” In  Book Title, edited by Editor First Name Surname, page number(s). Publisher Location: Publisher Name.

Angelou, Maya. 2017. “Human Family.” In  A Poem for Every Day of the Year , edited by Allie Esiri, 33. London: Macmillan Children’s Books.

Citing an online poem in Chicago style

Author First Name Surname, “Title of the Poem,” in Title of the Book , (Publisher location: Publisher name, Publication date), poetry division locator and/or number(s). References are to a specific poetry division such as act, scene, stanza, or line. URL.

Jennifer L. Knox, “The Gift,” in  Crushing It , (Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press, 2020), 5-6. References are to line. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/155123/the-gift-5fe0de7fa1e04.

When you cite a source in the first instance, provide full information in the first note. If the same source is cited in multiple instances, you can provide only short information of the source such as the surname of the author, up to four words of the title, and page number(s).

2. Knox, “The Gift,” 5-6.

Author Surname, First Name. “Title of the Poem.” In  Book Title , poetry division locator and/or number(s). References are to a specific poetry division such as act, scene, stanza, or line. Publisher Location: Publisher name, Publication Year. URL.

Knox, Jennifer L. “The Gift.” In  Crushing It , 5-6. References are to line. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press, 2020. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/155123/the-gift-5fe0de7fa1e04.

Knox (2020)

(Knox 2020)

Surname, First Name. Year. “Title of the Poem.” In  Book Title , poetry division locator and/or number(s). References are to specific poetry division such as act, scene, stanza, or line. Publisher Location: Publisher name. URL.

Knox, Jennifer L. 2020. “The Gift.” In  Crushing It , 5-6. References are to line. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/155123/the-gift-5fe0de7fa1e04.

For more information on citing sources in Chicago, also read these guides on  Chicago style in-text citations  and  Chicago style bibliographies .

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Quotations and Block Quotes in Chicago Referencing

• 2-minute read
• 28th April 2023

When writing an academic paper, you may need to quote something you’ve read somewhere. But how to do this depends on the referencing system being used, so it pays to do some research. In this blog post, we’re looking at how quotations work in Chicago referencing, also known as the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition .

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

When citing a source, you can either:

• Use a direct quotation
• Paraphrase what you’ve read

Direct quotation involves using the exact words written in the source you’re citing. To do this, you should place the quoted text inside double quotation marks (i.e., “ ”). It’s a good idea to quote a source directly if your argument depends on the exact wording of what you’re quoting.

If you don’t want to quote a source directly, you can paraphrase it instead. This means explaining what you’ve read in your own words. However, you still need to cite a source when paraphrasing, and you should be careful not to accidentally copy the original author’s wording.

Footnotes or In-Text Citations?

Chicago referencing offers two ways of citing sources, so the rules depend on the version you use. With the footnote and bibliography system, you indicate citations using superscript numbers after the quoted text:

Mitchell investigates “possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors.” 1

The first time you cite a source, you need to give full source information in the footnote (including page numbers for the section quoted).

With the author-date version of Chicago referencing, you cite sources in the main text of your paper. When quoting, this means giving the author’s surname, year of publication, and relevant page numbers in brackets:

It is important to investigate “possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors” (Mitchell 1996, 132).

If you name the author in the text, however, you should give the citation immediately afterward:

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Mitchell (1996, 132) investigates “possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors.”

You then give full bibliographic information for all cited sources in the reference list .

Long Quotations

Longer quotations are formatted differently in Chicago referencing. These “block quotes” should be:

• Prose quotations of five or more lines
• Not enclosed in quotation marks
• Preceded and followed by a blank line
• Indented .5” from the left margin

The rules for citing a block quote are the same as when quoting a source elsewhere in your text. As such, a Chicago-style block quote using footnote citations would look something like this:

Discussing genetics and behavior, Mitchell writes that:

In order to evaluate the legitimacy of such explanations it is, thus, necessary to explicate the variety of possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors. If phenotypic variation is the direct object of natural selection, one must understand the underlying relationship between the phenotypic expression and genetic replicators to argue that any such phenotypic trait is, or can be, an adaptation. 1

This suggests the relationship between genetics and behavior in animals is….

The full citation for the source would then be given in a footnote at the bottom of the page.

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Citation, Documentation of Sources

Q. Although CMOS is quite clear about the care one must take when quoting lyrics and poems that are still under copyright, I cannot find a single example of how to cite them once that care has been taken. Help a girl out? Muchas merci!

A. You’re facing two possible scenarios: (1) The owner of the copyright has given you formal permission to quote from a particular song or poem. In that case, they may specify the wording they want you to use when giving them credit. Such wording should be followed within reason (see CMOS 3.32 ). (2) You’re quoting no more than a word or two or simply mentioning or alluding to the song or poem or have otherwise determined that you don’t need permission (see CMOS 4.84–94 ). In that case, you simply cite the song or poem as you normally would.

A song can usually be mentioned in the text (with attribution) rather than formally cited; if you need something more formal, you’ll find examples at CMOS 14.263 . A poem can likewise simply be mentioned in the text. But if it’s part of a collection (as in a book or on a website), cite the larger work. For example, you might mention “Still Life,” by Emma Hine, while citing Stay Safe (Louisville, KY: Sarabande Books, 2021)—the book of poems by Hine where that one is included.

[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]

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Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Please note that although these resources reflect the most recent updates in the The Chicago Manual of Style  (17 th  edition) concerning documentation practices, you can review a full list of updates concerning usage, technology, professional practice, etc. at  The Chicago Manual of Style Online .

Introduction

The Chicago Manual of Style  (CMOS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and documentation, and as such, it has been lovingly dubbed the “editor's bible.”

The material on this page focuses primarily on one of the two CMOS documentation styles: the Notes-Bibliography System (NB) , which is used by those working in literature, history, and the arts. The other documentation style, the Author-Date System, is nearly identical in content but slightly different in form and is preferred by those working in the social sciences.

Though the two systems both convey all of the important information about each source, they differ not only in terms of the way they direct readers to these sources, but also in terms of their formatting (e.g., the position of dates in citation entries). For examples of how these citation styles work in research papers, consult our sample papers: 

Author-Date Sample Paper

NB Sample Paper

In addition to consulting  The Chicago Manual of Style  (17th edition) for more information, students may also find it useful to consult Kate L. Turabian's  Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations  (8th edition). This manual, which presents what is commonly known as the "Turabian" citation style, follows the two CMOS patterns of documentation but offers slight modifications suited to student texts.

Notes and Bibliography (NB) in Chicago style

The Chicago Notes and Bibliography (NB) system is often used in the humanities to provide writers with a system for referencing their sources through the use of footnotes, endnotes, and through the use of a bibliography. This offers writers a flexible option for citation and provides   an outlet for commenting on those sources, if needed. Proper use of the Notes and Bibliography system builds a writer’s credibility by demonstrating their accountability to source material. In addition, it can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the intentional or accidental uncredited use of source material created by others.

Introduction to Notes

In the Notes and Bibliography system, you should include a note (endnote or footnote) each time you use a source, whether through a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary. Footnotes are added at the end of the page on which the source is referenced, while endnotes are compiled at the end of each chapter or at the end of the entire document.

In either case, a superscript number corresponding to a note, along with the bibliographic information for that source, should be placed in the text following the end of the sentence or clause in which the source is referenced.

If a work includes a bibliography, which is typically preferred, then it is not necessary to provide full publication details in notes. However, if a bibliography is not included with a work, the first note for each source should include  all  relevant information about the source: author’s full name, source title, and facts of publication. If you cite the same source again, or if a bibliography is included in the work, the note only needs to include the surname of the author, a shortened form of the title (if more than four words), and the page number(s). However, in a work that does not include a bibliography, it is recommended that the full citation be repeated when it is first used in a new chapter.

In contrast to earlier editions of CMOS, if you cite the same source two or more times consecutively, CMOS recommends using shortened citations. In a work with a bibliography, the first reference should use a shortened citation which includes the author’s name, the source title, and the page number(s), and consecutive references to the same work may omit the source title and simply include the author and page number. Although discouraged by CMOS, if you cite the same source and page number(s) from a single source two or more times consecutively, it is also possible to utilize the word “Ibid.,” ( from the Latin ibidem, which means “in the same place,”) as the corresponding note. If you use the same source but a draw from different new page, the corresponding note should use “Ibid.” followed by a comma and the new page number(s).

In the NB system, the footnote or endnote itself begins with the appropriate full-sized number, followed by a period and then a space.

Introduction to Bibliographies

In the NB system, the bibliography provides an alphabetical list of all sources used in a given work. This page, most often titled Bibliography, is usually placed at the end of the work preceding the index. It should include all sources cited within the work and may sometimes include other relevant sources that were not cited but provide further reading.

Although bibliographic entries for various sources may be formatted differently, all included sources (books, articles, websites, etc.) are arranged alphabetically by author’s last name. If no author or editor is listed, the title or, as a last resort, a descriptive phrase may be used.

Though useful, a bibliography is not required in works that provide full bibliographic information in the notes.

Common Elements

All entries in the bibliography will include the author (or editor, compiler, translator), title, and publication information.

Author Names

The author’s name is inverted in the bibliography, placing the last name first and separating the last name and first name with a comma; for example, John Smith becomes Smith, John.

Titles of books and journals are italicized. Titles of articles, chapters, poems, etc. are placed in quotation marks .

Publication Information

The year of publication is listed after the publisher or journal name .

Punctuation

In a bibliography, all major elements are separated by periods.

For more information and specific examples, see the sections on  Books  and  Periodicals .

Please note that this OWL resource provides basic information regarding the formatting of entries used in the bibliography. For more information about Selected Bibliographies, Annotated Bibliographies, and Bibliographic Essays, please consult Chapter 14.61 of  The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition).

How to Cite a Poem

“  See revolving the globe, The ancestor-continents away group’d together, The present and future continents north and south, with the isthmus between.

See, vast trackless spaces, As in a dream they change, they swiftly fill, Countless masses debouch upon them, They are now cover’d with the foremost people, arts, institutions, known.

See, projected through time, For me an audience interminable. ”

Excerpt From: Walt Whitman. “Leaves of Grass.” Apple Books.

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Roses are red, violets are blue, trying to cite a poem someone gave to you? If so, you’re in luck, because we’re here to explain how to cite a poem!

While it may seem tricky to cite a poem, it’s pretty much the same as citing any type of writing. Many poems are found in anthologies or published collections of works. We’ll provide instructions for citing your poem found in an anthology, not only in MLA format but also in APA and Chicago formats too!

For this example, we’re using a poem found in an anthology called Love Poems , which is available on Google Books . To access the source yourself, use the information found in the citation examples below.

To cite a poem from an anthology, you’ll need to locate the following pieces of information:

• Name of the individual who wrote the poem
• Title of the poem
• Title of the book or anthology
• Name of the individual who edited or compiled the anthology
• Version of the anthology (for example, the edition)
• Publisher of the anthology
• Location of the publisher
• Date the anthology was published
• Page or page range the poem is on (for print sources)
• Name of the website the anthology is on (for online sources)
• URL or DOI (for online sources)

Use the following structure to cite a poem in an anthology in MLA citation style:

Print source:

Last name, First name (of the individual who wrote the poem). “Title of the Poem.” Title of the Anthology , First name Last name of Editor, editor’s title (if applicable), version (only include if it’s clearly labeled as a specific edition or version), Publisher, Date the anthology was published, page or page range (if applicable).

Online source:

Last name, First name (of the individual who wrote the poem). “Title of the Poem.” Title of the Anthology , First name Last name of Editor, editor’s title (if applicable), version (only include if it’s clearly labeled as a specific edition or version), Publisher, Date the anthology was published, Name of the Website or Database the anthology is on , URL or DOI.

Here’s how the above example would be cited in MLA 9 :

Graves, Robert. “Symptoms of Love.” Love Poems , Peter Washington, general editor, Everyman’s Library, 1993, p. 18.

Graves, Robert. “Symptoms of Love.” Love Poems , Peter Washington, general editor, Everyman’s Library, 1993, Google Books , https://books.google.com/books?id=kE-c58Jubj4C&lpg=PP1&dq=love%20poems&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q=love%20poems&f=false.

If you need help with in-text and parenthetical citations, CitationMachine.net, can help. Our MLA citation generator is simple and easy to use!

Use the following structure to cite a poem in an anthology in APA style:

Last name, First initial. Middle initial. of the individual who wrote the poem. (Year the anthology was published). Title of the poem. In First initial. Middle initial. Last name of Editor (Ed.), Title of anthology (p. for page or pp. for page range). URL

Here’s how the above example would be cited in APA:

Graves, R. (1993). Symptoms of love. In P. Washington (Ed.), Love poems (p. 18). https://books.google.com/books?id=kE-c58Jubj4C&lpg=PP1&dq=love%20poems&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=love%20poems&f=false

For more information, visit our APA reference page .

Use the following structure to cite a poem in an anthology in Chicago style:

Last name, First name, Middle initial. of the individual who wrote the poem. “Title of the Poem.” In Title of the Anthology , edited by First name Middle initial. Last name, page or page range. Location of the publisher: Publisher, Year published. URL.

Here’s how the above example would be cited in Chicago:

Graves, Robert. “Symptoms of Love.” In Love Poems , edited by Peter Washington, 18. New York: Everyman’s Library, 1993. https://books.google.com/books?id=kE-c58Jubj4C&lpg=PP1&dq=love%20poems&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=love%20poems&f=false.

A completed citation is a good start. If you need to go beyond this and create a Chicago style in text citation (footnotes and endnotes), a parenthetical citation example in MLA or APA, a citation for another source type, or need basic citing help, try Citation Machine.

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To cite a poem found in an anthology on an APA-style reference list, include the name of the poet, the anthology publication date, the name of the poem, the name of the compiler (e.g., editor), the name of the anthology, the page number(s), the publisher’s name, a DOI/URL (if applicable), and for poems that have been published elsewhere before appearing in the anthology, also include an original publication date. To write an APA-style in-text citation for a poem, include the surname of the poet, the poem’s original publication date (if applicable), and the anthology’s publication date.

In-text citation

Following are the templates and examples for writing an APA-style in-text citation for a poem in an anthology, both with and without an original publication date.

(Surname of the poet, Publication Year)

Republished and original dates:

(Surname of the poet, Original Publication Year/Anthology Publication Year)

(Kim, 2016)

(Kim, 1965/2016)

Reference-list entry

Following are the templates and examples for citing a poem found in an anthology in APA style.

Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the poem. In F. Editor (Ed.)., Title of the anthology (pp. #–#). Publisher.

Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the poem. In F. Editor (Ed.)., Title of the anthology (pp. #–#). Publisher. DOI/URL (Original work published Year)

Kim, S. J. (2016). The beggar in America. In W. A. Kibbedi (Ed.), Love, love alone: A poetry collection (pp. 7-8). Uganda Christian University.

Kim, S.J. (2016). The beggar in America. In W.A. Kibbedi (Ed.), Love, love alone: A poetry collection (pp. 7-8). Uganda Christian University. (Original work published 1965)

Single line of poetry

Cite the quote as you would cite a normal quotation. In the footnote, be sure to indicate the quotation’s location in the source.

Aside from page number, classic poetry can sometimes be organized by book (bk.), canto, stanza (st.), lines, fragment (frag.), etc. Include these location numbers if it makes sense. The example below has a page number (page 26). Other examples in this FAQ use books and lines.

Note and footnote template:

Example sentence, “Quotation goes here.” 1

• Author First M. Surname, Title of the Book (Publisher location: Publisher Name, year of publication), quotation location .

Note and footnote example:

Gorman instills both sadness and hope: “We will raise this wounded world into a wonderous one.” 1

• Amanda Gorman, The Hill We Climb (New York: Viking Books, 2021), 26.

Bibliography entry template and example:

Author Surname, First M. Title of the Book . Location: Publisher Name, year of Publication.

Gorman, Amanda. The Hill We Climb . New York: Viking Books, 2021.

Two or more lines, of poetry

If quoting two or more lines of poetry, you may format the quote as a block quote OR as a run-in quotation.

BLOCK QUOTE

Here’s how to format a block quote:

• No quotation marks are needed
• Left-aligned text indented 0.5 inches from the left
• A single line before and after the quotation

Quotation line one goes here.

Line 2 goes here. (Each line goes on its own line.)

Last line goes here. 1

*NOTE: If a line of the poem is too long to fit on a single line, the text that runs to the second line should have a hanging indent.

Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue Vain Warr with Heav’n, and by success untaught His proud imaginations thus displaid.  1

• John Milton, Paradise Lost (Salt Lake City: Project Gutenberg, 2017), bk. 2, lines 7-10.

Author Surname, First M. Title of the Book . Location: Publisher Name, year of publication.

Milton, John. Paradise Lost . Salt Lake City: Project Gutenberg, 2017. Epub.

RUN-IN QUOTATION

If you are writing in a narrative form and want to save line space, then use the poet’s name in the sentence and explain the lines, followed by the quoted lines from the poem. Add the note number at the end of the sentence.

Use forward slashes with one space on either side ( / ) to show line breaks in the original poem. In case there is a break between stanzas, use a double slash with a single space on either side ( // ) instead of a single slash.

Milton uses light to express his sight in, “When I consider how my light is spent / Ere half my days in this dark world and wide.” 1

Two or more stanzas of poetry

• Left-aligned text
• Add a line before and after each stanza

Quotation stanza one. (Each line goes on its own line.)

Quotation stanza two.

Last stanza. 1

• Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (Salt Lake City: Project Gutenberg, 1998), bk. 2, lines 23-31.

Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass . Salt Lake City: Project Gutenberg, 1998. Epub.

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• How to cite a poem in MLA

How to Cite a Poem in MLA | Quoting & Citing Correctly

Published on August 9, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on June 16, 2022 by Jack Caulfield.

When you quote poetry, you have to properly format the quotation and the in-text citation, in order to direct the reader to the correct source entry in the Works Cited list.

Separate lines in a poetry quotation with a slash , and include the poet’s last name either in your text or in parentheses after the quote. To show the location of the quote, include line numbers (if specified in the text) or a page number (if the poem is published across multiple pages).

The second stanza begins with an ominous prophetic voice asking “What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow / Out of this stony rubbish?” ( Eliot , lines 19–20 ).

In the Works Cited entry, include the full publication details of the source in which you found the poem (e.g. a book or website ). You can use our free MLA citation generator to create Works Cited entries and in-text citations.

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Table of contents

How to quote poetry in mla, mla in-text citations for poems, mla works cited entry for a poem, frequently asked questions about citing poetry in mla.

When you quote a single line of a poem (or part of a line), simply put it in quotation marks as you would for any other quote . For quotations of multiple lines, there are some specific formatting requirements.

If you quote two or three lines, use a forward slash to mark the line breaks. Put a space before and after the slash. Make sure to use the same punctuation, capitalization, and styling as in the original text.

Mahon writes that “Deep in the grounds of a burnt-out hotel, / Among the bathtubs and the washbasins / A thousand mushrooms crowd to a keyhole.”

If there is a stanza break between the lines, use a double slash.

A haunting image comes next: “They lift frail heads in gravity and good faith. // They are begging us, you see, in their wordless way, / To do something, to speak on their behalf” (Mahon).

If you quote more than three lines of poetry, set them off as a block quote . Use an introductory sentence ending with a colon, then start the quotation on a new line, indented half an inch from the left margin, with no quotation marks.

When block quoting poetry, include all line breaks in the quotation and keep the formatting as close to the original as possible. If there is any unusual spacing, reproduce this in the block quote.

Mahon’s poem opens with a series of images of eerily deserted spaces:

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When quoting a poem, the poet’s last name must be clearly stated so that the reader can locate the source in the Works Cited list. If you cite more than one poem by the same author, you also need to mention the title of the poem you are quoting.

Often you will name the poet and title in the main text as you introduce the quote. If not, or if there is any ambiguity about which poem you are referring to, include the author name and/or title in a parenthetical citation after the quote.

Line numbers and page numbers in in-text citations

Sometimes poems are published with line numbers in the margin. In this case, use the line numbers in your in-text citation to more precisely locate the quote. Use the word “line” or “lines” (preceded by a comma) in the first citation, but only the numbers in subsequent citations.

If there are no line numbers displayed in the source, do not count them manually. If the poem is published over multiple pages, use the page number instead.

If there are no page or line numbers available (for example, when accessing a poem on a website), or if the poem appears on a single page of the published text, without line numbers, you only need to include the poet’s name .

If you have already mentioned the author when introducing the quotation, and there are no line or page numbers, no parenthetical citation is needed.

Consecutive citations of the same poem

If you cite the same poem repeatedly within a paragraph, you only need to mention the author’s name in the first citation . Subsequent citations can just consist of line or page numbers (or be omitted entirely if there are no numbers to give), as long as it’s clear from the context that you’re still citing the same poem.

The second stanza begins with an ominous prophetic voice asking “What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow / Out of this stony rubbish?” (Eliot, lines 19–20) . The “heap of broken images” (22) referenced in the following lines could be taken for a symbol of the fragmentary structure of the poem itself.

However, give the full citation again if you start a new paragraph or cite another source in between.

In the Works Cited entry, you start with the poet’s name, followed by the title of the poem in quotation marks. Then include details of the source where the poem was published. Usually you will follow the format of an MLA book citation or an MLA website citation .

Poem in a book

If the poem is from a collection of the poet’s work, add the name of the book in italics; the publisher; the year; and the page or page range on which the poem appears.

Poem in an anthology

If the poem was published as part of an edited collection, follow the same format as above, but add the name(s) of the book’s editor(s).

Poem on a website

If you accessed the poem on a website, include the name of the website and the URL. If the web page has a publication date , include this; if not, add the date on which you accessed it. If relevant, you can also add the original publication year directly after the poem’s title.

To quote poetry in MLA style , introduce the quote and use quotation marks as you would for any other source quotation .

If the quote includes line breaks, mark these using a forward slash with a space on either side. Use two slashes to indicate a stanza break.

If the quote is longer than three lines, set them off from the main text as an MLA block quote . Reproduce the line breaks, punctuation, and formatting of the original.

An MLA in-text citation should always include the author’s last name, either in the introductory text or in parentheses after a quote .

If line numbers or page numbers are included in the original source, add these to the citation.

If you are discussing multiple poems by the same author, make sure to also mention the title of the poem (shortened if necessary). The title goes in quotation marks .

Only use line numbers in an MLA in-text citation if the lines are numbered in the original source. If so, write “lines” in the first citation of the poem , and only the numbers in subsequent citations.

If there are no line numbers in the source, you can use page numbers instead. If the poem appears on only one page of a book (or on a website ), don’t include a number in the citation.

In the list of Works Cited , start with the poet’s name and the poem’s title in quotation marks. The rest of the citation depends on where the poem was published.

If you read the poem in a book or anthology, follow the format of an MLA book chapter citation . If you accessed the poem online, follow the format of an MLA website citation .

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2022, June 16). How to Cite a Poem in MLA | Quoting & Citing Correctly. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/poem-citation/

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How to Cite Poems

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The question “how to cite poems” arises when it comes to specific assignments in literature. For example, when students get a task to analyze assigned poems, they need to use specific quotes to support claims and avoid plagiarism. In this case, formats of citing a poem depend on chosen writing styles. Basically, referencing styles, like MLA, APA, Harvard, and Chicago/Turabian formats, provide different information on it. Therefore, this article covers important aspects of how to cite poems for different formats.

Citing a Poem

Poems may be sources in academic papers. Unlike standard types of papers, structures of poems often require exclusive in-text citations. For example, if someone wants to get the answer to the question of how to cite poems, the American Psychological Association (APA) and Chicago/Turabian referencing styles have no regulations for poetry in-text citations. In turn, Harvard and Modern Language Association (MLA) styles have rules that authors should be conversant with to create correct citations.

Citing Poems in MLA Style

General in-text citation.

The format for citing a poem in the MLA format citation is unique when compared to other referencing styles. Ideally, an MLA in-text citation employs the author-page format in answering how to cite poems. However, there are three rules in MLA citation:

Firstly, a poem that has an author and line numbers uses an in-text citation format. In this case, page numbers include line numbers. The use of line numbers allows writers to refer to a particular line. It is convenient when carrying out poetry analysis, for instance, Jonas 12.

Secondly, students should cite a poem with only the author’s name and no line numbers by using the author’s name only. Basically, this in-text citation for poems does not allow for alternative means of identifying specific information except for the use of line numbers, for example, Jonas.

Thirdly, a poem that has an author and line numbers but is subdivided into sections should provide a section identifier and the line numbers, which are separated by a period. In this case, a poem may cover acts, books, scenes, or other segments. Besides, it is crucial to identify subdivisions. The line number count may be reset at the beginning of each section, for example, Jonas 5.12.

Short and Long Quotations

By considering how to cite poems, in-text citations for short and long quotations must be covered. They are usually slightly different from standard in-text citations. Basically, short quotations that are more than one line in a poem require writers to identify the first and third lines quoted in the in-text citations. The MLA style limits short quotes to three or fewer lines in a verse. If an author quotes three lines, the second line number is excluded, and a dash used to signify the exclusion, for instance, Jonas 12-14.

Sample of a Works Cited entry for a poem in MLA:

• Whitman, Walt. Song of Myself . Masterbooks, 1973, pp. 1-56.

Sample of a short quote for a poem in MLA:

• Whitman writes “I loafe and invite my soul, / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass” (4-5).

Then, quotations that are longer than three lines apply the same in-text citation format. However, the omission of one or more lines in a long quotation creates the need for two separate groups of line numbers separated by a comma. Omitting words requires the insertion of several periods, which results in two sets of quotations. Besides, students should provide line numbers from each set of quotes despite the lines being part of a single long quotation, for example, Jonas 12-14, 19-21. In-text citations for quotes longer than one line differs from the usual author-line number format.

Sample of a long quote for a poem in MLA:

• Whitman in his poem touches an issue of eternity:

Clear and sweet is my soul, and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul. Lack one lacks both, and the unseen is proved by the seen, Till that becomes unseen and receives proof in its turn. Showing the best and dividing it from the worst age vexes age. (51-54)

How to Cite Poems in Harvard Style

Harvard style guide has a distinct citation approach in how to cite poems. For instance, citing poems covers the names of editors or the title of the anthology to maintain the author-date format. This rule suggests that the name of the poet is not included in the in-text citation. Instead, the name of the poet and poem’s title are inserted into the text of the cited sentence. As a result, a sample in-text citation in the Harvard style is:

John Ibsen’s The Talking Car (Jackson et al. 2000, p. 5) came under much criticism in the 1990s because it went against the current poetry trends.

Example of a reference entry for a poem in Harvard:

• Dickson, E. (2003) ‘In a library,’ in Poems Series One . Fairfield: 1st World Library, pp. 14-16.

Example of an in-text citation of a poem in Harvard:

• “His quaint opinions to inspect, / His knowledge to unfold / On what concerns our mutual mind, / The literature of old” (Dickson, 2003, p. 14).

Citing Poems in APA and Chicago/Turabian Formats

APA and Chicago/Turabian styles have no unique techniques defined for citing poems. The guide of the APA format does not provide answers to questions of how to cite poems. Basically, the lack of rules to guide the development of APA citation implies that poetry sources adopt general APA citation format. Similarly, the Chicago style citation or Turabian format lacks any information on it. In this case, footnotes are provided for a poem’s citation without any additional considerations. In APA and Chicago/Turabian styles, citing poems covers citation rules for the ‘container.’

Sample of a reference entry for a poem in APA:

• Plath, S. (2020). Daddy . Poetry Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48999/daddy-56d22aafa45b2

Sample of an in-text citation for a poem in APA:

• According to Plath (2020), she writes that “You do not do, you do not do / Any more, black shoe / In which I have lived like a foot” (1-3).

Example of a bibliography entry for a poem in Chicago/Turabian:

• Lazarus, Emma. “Dreams.” In Selected Poems , 5-6. Edited by John Hollander. New York: Library of America, 2005.

Quote sample or in-text citation for a poem in Chicago/Turabian:

• In Dreams , Emma Lazarus states, “A dream of lilies: all the blooming earth, / A garden full of fairies and of flowers.” 1

Footnote sample for a poem in Chicago/Turabian:

• Emma Lazarus, “Dreams,” in Selected Poems , ed. John Hollander (New York: Library of America, 2005), 5.

Conclusion on How to Cite Poems

In conclusion, MLA and Harvard have distinctive rules on how to cite poems. However, MLA styling rules are more elaborate than Harvard regulations. Then, Chicago/Turabian and APA styles employ traditional formats for citing a poem. Besides, MLA’s exhaustive rules for citing poems may be a consequence of the extensive use of the style in literary works. In turn, standard in-text citation formats may be modified. It includes the line number in the cited statement to allow for specificity beyond the page level.

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Cite a Poem

When you're dealing with poems in an essay or any other academic paper, you might find yourself needing to reference or quote them. Knowing how to cite a poem properly will not only help you adhere to academic standards but also enhance your writing by highlighting the relevance of a particular line of the poem. This comprehensive guide will shed light on how to cite a poem in various formats, include both short and long quotes, and ensure that your citations align with the MLA style guidelines. You'll find it handy whether you are a student, writer, or literature enthusiast. Get ready to explore the essentials of citing a poem.

When Should You Cite a Poem?

Citing a poem is crucial when you include specific words, lines, or ideas from a poem in your writing. There are instances when you need to cite a poem, and understanding these scenarios will guide you in applying correct citation. Whether you're using a short poem or a specific  emilyspoetryblog.com line from a longer poem, proper citation will not only help your readers trace the original source but also maintain the integrity of your work. You should cite a poem when quoting it directly, paraphrasing a particular section, or even when referring to its title or author. Citing a poem ensures that you give credit where credit is due, adhering to academic honesty and avoiding plagiarism.

Cite a Poem in Different Formats

When it comes to citing a poem, the format you use might differ based on the style guide you are following. The most common method is MLA formatting, but others like APA and Chicago styles might apply. When citing a poem in MLA, you'll need to include the author's name, poem title, and page number if applicable. For short quotes from the poem, you'll use quotation marks, while for long quotes, you'll apply block quotes formatting. If you are using online sources, don't forget to include the URL. This section will dive deeper into the various ways to cite a poem, ensuring that you do it correctly and efficiently.

Quoting Up to Three Lines of Poetry

When you want to quote a poem in your essay, and it's up to three lines long, you'll use the regular in-text citation method. You should cite the author's last name and the line number in parentheses right after the quote. Here's how to do it: "This is the quote" (Author's Last Name Line Number). For short quotes like these, you'll need to use quotation marks and properly format the citation according to the MLA guidelines. This method is suitable for integrating brief, impactful lines from a poem that can emphasize a point or illustrate a theme in your writing. Make sure to cite the lines correctly to maintain the authenticity of your work.

Quoting More Than Four Lines

When quoting more than four lines from a poem, you should use the block quotes method. This formatting allows you to include longer sections of a poem without crowding your text. To correctly quote a long poem section, start the quote on a new line, indenting one inch from the left margin, and do not use quotation marks. Here's how to format it in your essay: This is the quote This is the continuation of the quote. (Author's Last Name Line Numbers). By following this method, you can include longer quotes from a poem in a visually appealing way, allowing your readers to fully grasp the context and meaning of the quoted section.

Poem Title and Its Importance

The title of a poem is more than just a name; it often provides insights into the poem's theme or subject matter. When citing a poem, you must include the title in italics or enclosed in quotation marks, depending on the citation style. In MLA format, for example, the title should be enclosed in quotation marks. Including the poem title in your citation ensures that your readers can easily locate the original source and perhaps explore it further. This is an essential aspect of citing a poem and one that contributes to the clarity and accuracy of your writing.

Short Quotes

When dealing with short quotes from a poem, you must apply specific formatting rules. These quotes, usually up to three lines long, need to be enclosed in quotation marks and followed by a citation in parentheses. The citation should include the author's last name and the line numbers. Short quotes can be an effective way to emphasize a point or illustrate a theme in your writing. By using them correctly, you'll ensure that your work is both engaging and academically sound. Always remember to cite these short quotes correctly to maintain the integrity of your work.

Long Quotes

Long quotes from a poem, typically more than four lines, require special formatting known as block quotes. These quotes should start on a new line, be indented one inch from the left margin, and should not be enclosed in quotation marks. Including long quotes in your writing allows you to present more substantial portions of a poem, providing your readers with a richer context or a more profound understanding of the subject matter. Long quotes must be cited properly, including the author's last name and the line numbers, following the MLA guidelines. By applying this method correctly, you'll add depth and nuance to your writing while adhering to academic standards.

Quote a Poem in an Essay

Quoting a poem in an essay is not merely about inserting lines from the poem. It involves understanding the context, choosing the appropriate quote that fits your argument, and then formatting it according to the required citation style, such as MLA. When you quote a poem in an essay, you should be thoughtful in selecting the lines that resonate with your topic and contribute to your argument. Don't forget to include both short and long quotes, depending on the need, and always ensure that you cite them correctly. This practice adds credibility to your essay and helps your readers understand the relevance of the quoted poem.

Dos and Don'ts

Citing a poem comes with specific rules and guidelines that you must adhere to. Here are some essential dos and don'ts to keep in mind:

• Always cite the poem's author and title.
• Follow the appropriate citation style, such as MLA.
• Use quotation marks for short quotes and block quotes for long ones.
• Include the line numbers in your citation.
• Forget to include the page number if applicable.
• Misquote or paraphrase without proper citation.
• Overuse quotes, balance them with your analysis and insights.
• Ignore the importance of the poem's title in your citation.

Useful Resources:    https://hollywoodcelebgossips.com/9-celebrities-who-didnt-go-to-college/

Chicago Style Guide: 17th Edition

• How To Use This Guide
• Introduction to Chicago Style
• Introduction to DOI
• Formatting: Title Page, Body, References

Formatting: Quotations

• One Author or Editor
• Two or Three Authors or Editors
• Four or More Authors or Editors
• Chapter in an Edited Book
• Multivolume Works
• Organization as Author
• Reference Book
• Edition Other than the First
• Editor/Translator in Addition to Author
• Basic Journal Article
• Online Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Blog Entries
• Motion Picture (DVD/VHS)
• Streaming Video
• Images & Art
• Interviews and Personal Communications
• Pamphlets, Brochures, and Reports
• Source within Source
• Additional Resources

For more information on formatting quotations, see Section 13 of the Chicago Manual of Style . 

• Quoting (less than 100 words)
• Block Quotation (more than 100 words)
• Quotation Within Quotation

When Quoting:

• Phrase the surrounding sentence in such a way that the quoted words fit into it logically and grammatically  (13.11)
• Integrate tenses and pronouns into the new context (13.12)
• Surround the quoted passage with double quotation marks, i.e. " quotation " (13.30)
• Place closing punctuation inside the closing quotation mark, i.e. "quotation . " 

Block Quotations

• five or more lines of text and/or more than 100 words
• two or more lines of poetry
• two or more paragraphs
• quoted correspondence (if including salutations and signatures)
• Single-spaced
• Set off from the regular text by starting on a new line
• Indent the entire block one-half inch on the left hand side (Use the indent/tab feature of your word processing software)
• Do not enclose blocked quotation in quotation marks, but keep any quotation marks that appear in the original text
• Leave a blank line before and after the block
• Single-spaced   

Source in addition to the CMOS 17th edition : "How Do I Format My Class Paper in Chicago Style."  CMOS Shop Talk  (blog).  Chicago Manual of Style , July 18, 2017.  http://cmosshoptalk.com/2017/07/18/how-do-i-format-my-paper-in-chicago-style/ .  

Quotation within Quotation

• Use single quotation marks around a quote that falls within a quote
• Any punctuation that is part of a quote within a quote should be placed inside the single quotation marks

"When you are quoting from a resource and that quote includes an internal quote, 'use single quotation marks for the internal quote!' and include punctuation for that internal quote within the single quotation marks."

• << Previous: Formatting: Title Page, Body, References
• Next: Referencing: Books >>
• Last Updated: Aug 25, 2021 1:18 PM
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How to Quote and Cite a Poem in an Essay Using MLA Format

Last Updated: July 3, 2024 Fact Checked

Template and Examples

Quoting in essays, citing in essays, citing in a works cited.

This article was co-authored by Jamie Korsmo, PhD . Jamie Korsmo is a Ph.D. candidate in English at Georgia State University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,329,407 times.

Navigating the MLA Handbook can be pretty overwhelming; there are so many rules that regulate the way we can quote and cite poetry in MLA format in our own writing. Improper quoting and citing can even be considered a form of plagiarism. Here is a comprehensive look at the most important things you need to know to make your English teacher happy with how you quote from and cite poetry in your papers.

• Example sentence: Robert Frost’s poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” discusses the idea of solitude versus living in a world of other people and obligations.

• Here is an example of several lines of poetry from Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”: The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep.
• Here is an example of how to insert several lines of poetry into an essay: In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Frost writes, “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep."

• Example: Robert Frost writes about solitude and man’s relationship with nature:                     Whose woods these are I think I know.                     His house is in the village, though;                     He will not see me stopping here                     To watch his woods fill up with snow. (1-4)

• Example: Robert Frost discusses solitude and a desire to forget obligations when he writes, "The woods are lovely...but I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep" (13-15).

Tip: If an ellipsis covers a line break, do not worry about including a backslash inside the ellipsis, as in the above example. But if you continue on without an ellipsis, include the backslashes that indicate line breaks.

• Example: Robert Frost discusses solitude when he writes,                     Whose woods these are I think I know.                     ………………………………………….                     He will not see me stopping here                     To watch his woods fill up with snow. (1-4)

• If you don't take these steps correctly, then you aren't giving credit where it's due to the original author and your teacher may consider this plagiarism.

• Example: In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Frost writes, “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep / But I have promises to keep / And miles to go before I sleep” (13-15).
• Example: The notion of solitude appears in many notable poems including the famous lines, "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep" (Frost 13-15).

• Example of one quoted word: Robert Frost uses the word “sleep” to imply fantasies about solitude and perhaps death (15).
• Example of multiple words: Robert Frost uses a variety of words and phrases such as “frozen” (7), “darkest evening” (8), and “before I sleep” (15) to imply thoughts of solitude and the desire to not return to his obligations.

Tip: Just make sure that you include the proper line numbers, whatever the form. If you are citing a longer section of the poem, you will include more line numbers (12-32). If you cite two separate sections using an ellipsis, indicate the range of the sections with a comma separating them (11-15, 18-21).

• Example of citing a short quote: In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Frost writes, “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep” (13-15).
• Example of citing a long quote: Robert Frost writes about solitude and man’s relationship with nature:                     Whose woods these are I think I know.                     His house is in the village, though;                     He will not see me stopping here                     To watch his woods fill up with snow. (1-4)

• Example: The notion of solitude appears in many notable poems including the famous lines, "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep" (Frost, "Stopping by the Woods" 13-15). This idea is mirrored in the lines "And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black" (Frost, "The Road Not Taken" 11-12).

• Example: Frost, Robert. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The Poetry of Robert Frost. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1969. 224-225. Print.

• Example: Frost, Robert. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The Poetry Foundation. n.d. Web. 6 January 2014.

Tip: You do not need to add the URL of the website as they change often and are generally long and confusing, and URLs are not required in MLA format. [10] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

• Example (note this is a made up anthology): Frost, Robert. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The Little Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Marie Shier. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Some Publisher, 2010. 21-22. Print.

• Frost, Robert. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The Poetry of Robert Frost. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1969. 224-225. Print.
• ---. “The Road Not Taken.” The Poetry of Robert Frost. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1969. 227-228. Print.

Community Q&A

• When writing about poetry in your essay, use the present tense. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Brackets are not needed around ellipses. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_quotations.html
• ↑ https://stlcc.edu/student-support/academic-success-and-tutoring/writing-center/writing-resources/mla-in-text-citation-sample-essay-8th-edition.aspx
• ↑ https://style.mla.org/line-numbers-in-text-citation/
• ↑ https://otis.libguides.com/mla_citations/in-text
• ↑ https://www.monmouth.edu/resources-for-writers/documents/mla-citing-poetry.pdf/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html
• ↑ https://libguides.uww.edu/mla/poem
• ↑ https://uwcchina.libguides.com/c.php?g=830919&p=6639313

About This Article

If you use a quote from a poem in an MLA-format essay, place the line numbers of the poem in parentheses right after the closing quotation marks, with the closing punctuation right behind the parentheses. If you mention the name of the author when you are introducing the text, you do not have to include the author’s name in the parenthesis, but you do if you have not already stated the name of the author. If the quote is more than 3 lines long, indent 10 spaces from the left margin when you type the poem. To learn about how to include a citation for a poem on the Works Cited page of your essay, continue reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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