100+ Ways to Quote a Book in MLA Format: Expert Copywriting & Citation Tips

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic” (Rowling 29).

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1).

“The world is too much with us; late and soon, getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (Wordsworth 2).

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell 120).

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” (Whitman 45).

“I think, therefore I am” (Descartes 78).

“We accept the love we think we deserve” (Chbosky 23).

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (Dickens 1).

“Call me Ishmael” (Melville 3).

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald 180).

“Big Brother is watching you” (Orwell 5).

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” (Kennedy 33).

When introducing a long quotation, use a colon and set the text apart:

She paused, gazing out at the sea, and said:
    The waves never stop, just like time. They crash
    and retreat, but always return. We are like them—
    pulled forward by forces beyond control, shaped
    by every tide we’ve weathered. There is no going
    back, only onward (Mitchell 89).

As the philosopher wrote:

    Truth is not found in facts alone, nor in logic,
    but in the synthesis of experience and reason.
    To deny one is to blind oneself to the whole.
    Thus, wisdom emerges not from isolation,
    but from dialogue (Kant 102).

The novel describes the scene:

    Snow fell without mercy, covering rooftops
    and roads alike. Footprints vanished within
    minutes. The village slept under a white shroud,
    silent except for the occasional creak of frozen
    timber (Murakami 67).

In his letter, he explained:

    I cannot stay where I am not wanted. My presence
    brings discomfort, and my silence breeds suspicion.
    Better to leave with dignity than remain in shame.
    Let history judge fairly (Lincoln 144).

The poet reflects:

    I walked through fields of ashen grass,
    where once wildflowers danced in wind.
    Now only memory blooms—
    a ghost garden beneath gray skies (Rich 34).

The scientist observed:

    Each experiment revealed new anomalies.
    Particles behaved unpredictably under stress,
    suggesting an underlying force not yet cataloged.
    We may be on the verge of a paradigm shift (Curie 201).

The character confesses:

    I lied to protect her. But lies grow thorns,
    and every day they cut deeper. Now I bleed
    from wounds I caused, and she suffers still (Atwood 112).

The historian notes:

    Revolutions are rarely spontaneous.
    They are born from decades of quiet resentment,
    fed by inequality and ignored cries for justice.
    The spark is inevitable (Zinn 88).

The teacher advises:

    Read slowly. Question everything. Write not
    to impress, but to understand. Your voice matters
    only if it speaks truth, even when trembling (Didion 55).

The narrator recalls:

    My father stood at the gate, hat in hand,
    watching the train pull away. He didn’t wave.
    His stillness said everything: goodbye, be safe,
    come home (O’Brien 73).

The activist declares:

    We will not be silenced. We will not be moved.
    Our cause is just, our hearts united. If they jail
    our bodies, they cannot imprison our vision (King 134).

The artist writes:

    Color is not decoration. It is language.
    Red screams, blue whispers, yellow laughs.
    To paint is to speak without words (Kandinsky 41).

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, ... but I have promises to keep” (Frost 13).

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family ... is unhappy in its own way” (Tolstoy 1).

“It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, ... it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair” (Dickens 1).

“He was certain that ... nothing could go wrong” (Hemingway 67).

“The universe is vast ... and we are but specks within it” (Sagan 102).

“She believed in dreams, ... even when no one else did” (Alvarez 88).

“Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear” ... and that right is fading” (Orwell 112).

“Love is not love ... which alters when it alteration finds” (Shakespeare 14).

“Time does not bring relief; you all have said ... yet I do not forget” (Millay 5).

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled ... but a fire to be kindled” (Plutarch 23).

“We must learn to live together as brothers ... or perish together as fools” (King 134).

“Hope is the thing with feathers ... that perches in the soul” (Dickinson 1).

“He [the protagonist] carried the weight of the world on his shoulders” (O’Brien 45).

“The students [all female scholars] challenged the professor’s assumptions” (Smith 78).

“She realized that ‘home’ [not the house, but the feeling] was within her” (Nguyen 101).

“The government [under President Reed] passed the bill quickly” (Brown 203).

“They [the rebels] were outnumbered but not outmatched” (Grant 155).

“The word ‘freedom’ [as defined in this context] requires reevaluation” (Gates 89).

“Every child [regardless of gender] deserves access to books” (Angelou 33).

“The journey [both physical and emotional] changed her forever” (Coelho 67).

“The theory [though controversial] gained widespread support” (Einstein 122).

“The river [symbolizing time] flowed without pause” (Woolf 77).

“Artists [like Van Gogh] often suffer in silence” (Moore 44).

“The decision [made in haste] led to unintended consequences” (Lee 110).

The author suggests that true courage involves facing fear despite knowing the risks (Lee 28).

According to the text, happiness stems more from relationships than wealth (Frankl 56).

The character comes to understand that identity is shaped by memory and loss (Morrison 89).

The study indicates that early childhood experiences strongly influence adult behavior (Perry 102).

The narrator reflects on how war changes a person’s sense of morality (Remarque 77).

The poet implies that nature offers healing for emotional wounds (Frost 34).

The philosopher argues that knowledge arises from questioning, not accepting (Socrates 12).

The novel shows that societal expectations can suppress individual desires (Wharton 66).

The scientist explains that innovation often follows repeated failure (Curie 205).

The leader emphasizes that unity is stronger than division (King 130).

The diary reveals that loneliness persists even among crowds (Plath 41).

The essay contends that education should foster critical thinking, not memorization (Freire 22).

“You can’t blame a man for trying,” he said with a grin (Hemingway 45).

“I never loved you,” she whispered, though her eyes told another story (Fitzgerald 98).

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, blocking the door (Steinbeck 67).

“I’ll wait for you,” she promised, holding his hand tightly (Nichols 101).

“This isn’t over,” he muttered, slamming the book shut (Rowling 223).

“Do you believe in fate?” she asked, staring at the stars (Murakami 155).

“I did it for us,” he said, tears in his voice (Atwood 112).

“You’re not leaving this house,” Mother said firmly (King 76).

“Tell me the truth,” he demanded, gripping the table (Conrad 88).

“I’m not afraid of you,” she said, though her hands trembled (Collins 134).

“We’re all mad here,” the Hatter giggled (Carroll 45).

“Just keep swimming,” Dory insisted (Stanton 21).

“As she wrote in her journal, ‘I am not small; I contain multitudes,’” the biographer noted (Whitman 45).

“He quoted Shakespeare: ‘To be, or not to be, that is the question,’” during the speech (Johnson 88).

“The teacher reminded us, ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,’” (Santayana 102).

“She recalled her mother saying, ‘Bread lasts longer when stored in darkness,’” (Olsen 33).

“The article cited Einstein: ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge,’” (Miller 122).

“He laughed and said, ‘The only rule is don’t be boring,’ which became her mantra” (Woolf 77).

“The priest quoted scripture: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’” (Matthew 19:19).

“She read aloud, ‘I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,’ confusing the freshmen” (Eliot 54).

“He remembered the coach yelling, ‘Leave everything on the field!’ before collapsing” (Green 110).

“The critic claimed, ‘This novel is the voice of a generation,’ a bold statement” (James 67).

“She whispered, ‘Stars are fireflies in God’s garden,’ a phrase her grandmother taught her” (Hughes 89).

“The student argued, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied,’ citing a famous legal principle” (Baldwin 134).

“Power tends to corrupt,” said Acton, while Orwell added, “If liberty means anything, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear” (Acton 10; Orwell 112).

As Thoreau observed, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” and Emerson noted, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist” (Thoreau 5; Emerson 23).

Darwin claimed, “It is not the strongest species that survive,” while Dawkins emphasized, “We are survival machines” (Darwin 101; Dawkins 45).

“I think, therefore I am,” said Descartes, whereas Nietzsche declared, “God is dead” (Descartes 78; Nietzsche 99).

“All you need is love,” sang The Beatles, while Tolstoy wrote, “Love is life” (Beatles 7; Tolstoy 1).

“The unexamined life is not worth living,” said Socrates, and Camus added, “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart” (Socrates 30; Camus 88).

“We make a living by what we get,” said Churchill, “but we make a life by what we give” (Churchill 200; Service 15).

“Books are mirrors of the soul,” wrote Virginia Woolf, while Ray Bradbury stated, “Books are humanity in print” (Woolf 77; Bradbury 55).

“Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty,” said Poe, and Whitman proclaimed, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself” (Poe 12; Whitman 1).

“Science without religion is lame,” Einstein argued, “religion without science is blind” (Einstein 122; Gould 33).

“Be the change you wish to see,” said Gandhi, and Mandela added, “It always seems impossible until it’s done” (Gandhi 50; Mandela 201).

“Language is the dress of thought,” said Johnson, while Saussure claimed, “Language is a system of signs” (Johnson 44; Saussure 76).

“The self is not fixed but fluid,” as discussed in the anthology edited by Smith (Butler 112).

“Colonialism leaves scars deeper than borders,” argued Achebe in a collection compiled by James (Achebe 67).

“Feminism is the radical notion that women are people,” appears in Johnson’s feminist reader (Firestone 33).

“The American Dream is a myth for the poor,” states a chapter in Thompson’s economic critique (Hurst 89).

“Art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed,” featured in Moore’s art anthology (Marcuse 45).

“Memory is identity,” explored in Chen’s psychological compilation (Loftus 101).

“Technology shapes society more than society shapes technology,” according to essays in Lee’s volume (Postman 77).

“Race is a social construct,” emphasized in Washington’s cultural studies reader (Gates 55).

“Education is liberation,” a central theme in Freire’s work included in Adams’s collection (Freire 22).

“Silence is violence,” stated in a civil rights anthology edited by King (X 134).

“Nature has rights too,” argued in environmental essays compiled by Rivera (Stone 66).

“The future belongs to the curious,” highlighted in a youth leadership book edited by Park (Antonelli 30).

“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself,” as Sartre wrote in French (Sartre, trans. Barnes 23).

“Everything flows,” attributed to Heraclitus in Greek philosophy (Heraclitus, trans. Liddell 12).

“I came, I saw, I conquered,” Caesar’s famous Latin phrase (Caesar, trans. Handforth 5).

“The guest is God,” a Sanskrit proverb translated in spiritual texts (Patel, trans. Singh 88).

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how,” Nietzsche in German (Nietzsche, trans. Kaufmann 45).

“Literature is the memory of humanity,” from Spanish literary criticism (Borges, trans. Hurley 102).

“The pen is mightier than the sword,” originally in English but cited from a French translation (Dumas, trans. Ellis 77).

“There is no god but God,” the Islamic declaration in Arabic (Quran 112, trans. Ali).

“Harmony with nature is the essence of life,” from Japanese philosophy (Miyazaki, trans. Napier 33).

“One must imagine Sisyphus happy,” Camus in French (Camus, trans. O'Brien 89).

“Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you,” in Portuguese (Coelho, trans. Clark 67).

“To know virtue is to do virtue,” Confucius in Chinese (Confucius, trans. Lau 11).