How to Cite a Poem

When writing an essay, you may feel the urge to include poetry but do not know how to cite a poem. It may be challenging to know how to do it correctly. 

This article aims to equip you with the necessary skills to have a reasonable poem quotation in your paper. 

How Do You in Text Cite a Poem?

Before citing lines from a poem, you first need to collect all the necessary information on the source. Find the title of the poem, the poet’s last and first name, source publication, line and page number, the name of the publishing company, the title of the book of poetry, the title of the anthology, the title of the website and editor’s last and first name.

Poems can come from various sources; thus, the format for citing lines from a poem differs.

How Do You Cite a Poem in MLA Format?

Below is everything you require to cite a poem mla style in your research paper. You will learn how to quote a poem and easily add citations to your reference list. 

It might seem daunting, but by the end, you will have all the information you need to create a poem citation, details on how to compile them, and formatting examples to get you started.

Citing a Poem From a Website

The basic format for any poetry found online also encompasses PDFs from other sources. In this format, ensure you include 

1. The Poet’s last and first name.
2. The title of the poem.
3. The year the poem was published.
4. The title of the website.
5. The name of the website published. 
6. The URL 
7. The day you accessed the poem.

Examples

Below is an example of the basic format of how to cite a poem title in MLA

Frost, Robert. “Birches.” 1969. Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44260/birches. Accessed 1 Mar. 2020.

Here are the guidelines you will need to cite a poem mla

1. The citation should always start with the poet’s last name. Always capitalize the first letter of the last name. The final word should have a comma followed by their first name, which should also be in capital letters. The poet’s first name should have a period at the end.
2. Cite a poem title in quotation marks and add a period after but still within the quotation marks. Always capitalize the first letter of the poem title. (Remember only to capitalize at the beginning of the main words.)
3. Add the year that the poem was initially published. In this part, you must research beyond the website source to find the correct information. Include a period at the end of the publication year of the poem.
4. When citing a poem from a website, the name of the website publisher should not be italicized but in standard text. In this part, use the title case and follow the website name with a comma.
5. Add the URL of the website but leave the https:// in the beginning. The URL should have a period in the end.
6. The date you accessed the poem is essential. Include the date after the URL. The word “Accessed” should have a capital A. The date should start with the numerical day, the month, and the year with a period in the end.

Citing a Poem in a Book

Citing lines from a poem in a book has slightly different guidelines than citing a poem from a website. 

The basic format is as follows:

Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” Robert Frost Selected Poems, Fall River Press, 2011, p. 25.

Here is the guideline you will need for citing a poem from a book

1. The first letter of the poet’s last name should be in capital letters, followed by a comma. Capitalize the first letter of the first name should and include a period at the end of the poet’s name
2. The poem’s title should be in title case, and the period should be in quotation marks.
3. The book’s title where the poem you sourced the poem should be in italics and title case. The end of the book title must include a comma.
4. The publisher’s name should not be italicized but written in standard text and the title case.
5. The year the book was published should also be included.
6. Provide the page of the book with a “p.” or “pp.” for multiple pages.

In-text Citing a Poem MLA

Poem mla in text citation is similar for poems sourced from websites and cite a poem in a book. Here is how to cite a poem in text mla.

1. The poet’s last name
2. Always indicate the page number and line number of the poem.

For example (Olsen, line 4)

If you want to cite multiple lines in a poem, in-text citations include various numbers.

For example, (Olsen, lines 6-10)

Additionally, here is how to cite a quote from a poem. You may need to include direct quotations of poetry in your research paper.

For example, As Williams states, “so much depends upon a red wheelbarrow”(line 2).

How to Cite a Poem in APA

When writing your research paper in apa format, citing a poem differs from citing in mla. Here is an example of how to cite a poem in apa format.

Pope, A. (1963). The poems of Alexander Pope. (J. Butt, Ed.).  Methuen.

Here are a few guidelines for citing a poem in apa.

1. You should always include quotation marks.
2. For poems longer than 40 words, block citations are mandatory.
3. Always start a block citation in a new line.
4. Always indicate the line breaks with a slash.
5. For block citations, quotations are not necessary.

These are reliable tips and tricks on how to cite a poem in mla and apa format. The guidelines will give you a winning grade. However, you may still feel uncertain about your assignment. In this case, do not hesitate. Contact our reliable writers, who are always available to help you with all your essay needs.