Q&A for How to Quote and Cite a Poem in an Essay Using MLA Format

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How do I determine the lines I am quoting from; how do I count the lines?

Community Answer

Wherever there is a line break that is another line to count. So whenever the text moves down to another line, count it as another line.

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Question

How can I quote one line from a poem to end my speech?

Community Answer

Do it the same way you would quote 3 or fewer lines of poetry as explained above. Include the author's name and the title of the poem when introducing the quotation. Be sure to hand in an MLA works cited page when handing in the speech.

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Question

Example of a poem in mla style

Community Answer

MLA format is how writers talk about poetry (or other works), not a style people actually write poetry in. So MLA format governs how you might write about a poem for a class at school, but does not provide guidelines for actually writing poetry.

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Question

Can I get an example of an in text citation in a line of a poem?

Community Answer

Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair also railed against "gò / is mì-rùn mhòr nan Gall," who sought the extinction of Gaelic (“the deceit and great malice of the non-Gaels,” 39-40).

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Question

How do I set up and cite 4 lines of a poem as the opening of my essay?

Community Answer

It needs to be indented an inch (2.5cm) or 10 spaces from the left margin. And do not add quotation marks for a long quote.

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How do I MLA cite a poem that was handed to me physically?

Community Answer

List the author's lastname, firstname, title of the poem, and name of the website. The date the poem was posted.

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Which author do you put down their last name if there are two authors?

Torpi

Top Answerer

Put the authors in alphabetical order by last name, according to this format: "Last name 1, First Name 1, and First Name 2 Last Name 2." For the in-line citation, just use both last names: (Last name 1 and last name 2.)

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how to I write italics added?

Torpi

Top Answerer

If you mean that you italicized part of your quote to emphasize something, add "emphasis mine" to the end of the in-line citation, e.g. (Frost, "Stopping By the Woods" 13-15. Emphasis mine). Be aware that some teachers and professors frown upon doing this, though.

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Is URL required for MLA?

Rupert

Top Answerer

No, URLs are not required for MLA citations. This is mainly due to the changing nature of web addresses, and the fact that resources can usually be found through a web browser.

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Question

How do you cite a company with an unknown author in an MLA work cited?

Eris Willson

Community Answer

Just use the name of the company or title of the article instead of the author's name.

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