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

According to Smith, "literature reflects the soul of a society" (23).

“Words are the currency of thought,” argues Lee (45).

Johnson claims, “truth resides in details” (78).

“The mind thrives on inquiry,” states Reed (102).

As Greene notes, “clarity is kindness in writing” (67).

“Style defines substance,” writes Diaz (89).

“Narratives shape identity,” observes Kim (110).

“Reading builds empathy,” explains Patel (33).

“Fiction reveals truths facts cannot,” asserts Bell (54).

“Language evolves through use,” contends Wu (71).

“Great stories outlive their authors,” says Ortiz (95).

“Imagination fuels progress,” maintains Cruz (120).

In her exploration of narrative structure, Foster writes:

    The foundation of every powerful story lies not in plot alone,
    but in the emotional journey of its characters. Readers connect
    not with events, but with vulnerability, growth, and conflict.
    This internal arc is what transforms fiction into truth (134).

Thompson elaborates on historical context:

    To understand a novel of the 19th century, one must first
    understand the social constraints of the era. Gender roles,
    class divisions, and religious expectations shaped both
    the writer’s perspective and the reader’s interpretation (88).

As Martinez explains literary symbolism:

    A rose in a poem is never just a flower. It carries centuries
    of meaning—love, secrecy, transience. The symbol functions
    as a bridge between personal emotion and collective cultural
    memory (156).

Chen discusses digital reading habits:

    Modern readers skim more and absorb less. The attention
    span has shortened, and deep reading is becoming a rare
    practice. Yet, this shift does not eliminate the need for
    critical engagement—it redefines it (201).

Lewis analyzes poetic rhythm:

    Meter is not merely technical; it shapes mood. An iambic
    pentameter invites contemplation, while a trochaic beat
    creates urgency. The poet’s choice of rhythm guides the
    reader’s emotional response (177).

Nguyen reflects on translation:

    Translating a novel is an act of reinterpretation. Some
    nuances are lost, others are invented. The translator is
    not a mirror but a co-author, navigating between fidelity
    and fluency (143).

Ward examines authorial intent:

    We may never know what an author truly meant. Interpretation
    is inherently subjective. But the text itself remains a
    stable artifact, open to analysis regardless of intention (99).

Adams explores genre conventions:

    Genres provide readers with expectations. A mystery promises
    a solution; a romance, resolution. When authors subvert
    these forms, they challenge not only narrative norms but
    audience psychology (112).

Bennett discusses literary criticism:

    Criticism is not about judgment but understanding. It asks
    how a text works, why it resonates, and what it reveals about
    the human condition. A good critique illuminates, not condemns (65).

Hayes considers narrative voice:

    First-person narration creates intimacy, third-person offers
    distance. The choice of voice determines how much the reader
    knows and how closely they align with the protagonist (128).

Ellis investigates literary realism:

    Realism does not mean accuracy. It is a constructed illusion
    of authenticity. Details are selected, not recorded, to evoke
    the feeling of truth (141).

Fisher evaluates character development:

    Flat characters serve function; round characters invite empathy.
    Yet even minor figures contribute to theme and tone. Every role,
    however small, shapes the narrative world (105).

As Hughes writes, “I, too, sing America” (9).

“Hope is the thing with feathers,” says Dickinson (line 1).

Frost reminds us, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (18).

“Do not go gentle into that good night,” urges Thomas (line 1).

Whitman declares, “I contain multitudes” (section 52).

“She walks in beauty, like the night,” observes Byron (line 1).

“Water, water, everywhere,” laments Coleridge (line 61).

“The fog comes on little cat feet,” notes Sandburg (line 1).

“My love is like a red, red rose,” sings Burns (stanza 1).

“I am large, I contain multitudes,” repeats Whitman (52).

“All the world’s a stage,” states Shakespeare (Act II, Scene VII).

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” claims Keats (line 45).

Pound’s famous imagist poem appears as:

    In a Station of the Metro
    The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
    Petals on a wet, black bough (1).

Plath’s haunting opening reads:

    You do not do, you do not do
    Any more, black shoe
    In which I have lived like a foot
    For thirty years, poor and white (lines 1–4).

Blake’s vision unfolds:

    Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
    In the forests of the night;
    What immortal hand or eye,
    Could frame thy fearful symmetry? (lines 1–4).

Wordsworth’s reverence emerges:

    I wandered lonely as a cloud
    That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
    When all at once I saw a crowd,
    A host, of golden daffodils (lines 1–4).

Eliot sets the tone:

    April is the cruellest month, breeding
    Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
    Memory and desire, stirring
    Dull roots with spring rain (lines 1–4).

Auden’s elegy begins:

    Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
    Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
    Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
    Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come (lines 1–4).

Dickinson captures stillness:

    I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –
    The Stillness in the Room
    Was like the Stillness in the Air –
    Between the Heaves of Storm – (lines 1–4).

Whitman celebrates self:

    I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
    And what I assume you shall assume,
    For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you (lines 1–3).

Keats’ ode opens:

    My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
    My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,
    Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains (lines 1–3).

Byron evokes nature:

    There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
    There is rapture on the lonely shore,
    There is society, where none intrudes,
    By the deep sea, and music in its roar (lines 1–4).

Frost contemplates choices:

    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
    I took the one less traveled by,
    And that has made all the difference (lines 18–20).

Hughes dreams forward:

    Hold fast to dreams
    For if dreams die
    Life is a broken-winged bird
    That cannot fly (lines 1–4).

Smith suggests that societal values are mirrored in the literature people produce (23).

Lee believes that language develops through everyday communication rather than formal rules (45).

Johnson argues that attention to detail enhances the credibility of any narrative (78).

Reed emphasizes that curiosity is fundamental to intellectual growth (102).

Greene highlights the importance of clarity in effective writing (67).

Diaz points out that an author’s style often conveys meaning more powerfully than content alone (89).

Kim observes that personal identity is deeply influenced by the stories individuals consume (110).

Patel explains that reading fiction helps readers understand emotions different from their own (33).

Bell asserts that fictional narratives can reveal deeper truths than factual reports (54).

Wu contends that spoken language drives linguistic change more than written standards (71).

Ortiz notes that classic stories remain influential long after their authors are gone (95).

Cruz maintains that creative thinking is a vital engine of societal advancement (120).

“The rise of digital media has transformed reading habits” (“Changing Literacy” 12).

“Classroom discussions improve critical thinking” (“Engaged Learning” 7).

“Visual storytelling dominates modern communication” (“Media Trends” 23).

“Students prefer interactive content over textbooks” (“Digital Shift” 31).

“Collaborative learning increases retention rates” (“Teaching Methods” 18).

“Attention spans have decreased significantly since 2000” (“Focus Study” 9).

“Multimodal texts enhance student engagement” (“Learning Design” 45).

“Peer feedback improves writing quality” (“Writing Process” 14).

“Curiosity drives lifelong learning” (“Education Futures” 6).

“Gamification increases motivation in classrooms” (“Innovative Teaching” 22).

“Online forums foster deeper discussion” (“Digital Dialogue” 33).

“Self-directed learning promotes autonomy” (“Student Agency” 11).

Smith argues that “cultural narratives shape individual identity” (par. 5).

“Digital archives preserve voices often left out of history” (Johnson, sect. 3).

Lee claims that “language evolves fastest in urban centers” (ch. 4).

“AI is reshaping how we teach writing” (TechEd Report, screen 7).

“Students learn better through active participation” (Davis, para. 12).

“Social media influences political awareness” (Youth Survey, section 2).

“Multilingual education strengthens cognitive flexibility” (Global Ed, ch. 6).

“Open-access journals increase research visibility” (Scholarly Trends, para. 8).

“Virtual classrooms require new engagement strategies” (E-Learning Guide, screen 4).

“Feedback should be timely and specific” (TeachWell, sect. 5).

“Curriculum design must reflect diverse experiences” (Inclusive Ed, ch. 3).

“Emotional intelligence improves teamwork” (Leadership Study, para. 9).

Hamlet declares, “To be, or not to be: that is the question” (Shakespeare 3.1.56).

Lady Macbeth urges, “Unsex me here,” calling upon dark forces (Shakespeare 1.5.40).

Othello cries, “O, I have lost my reputation!” in despair (Shakespeare 2.3.262).

King Lear rages, “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!” in defiance (Shakespeare 3.2.1).

Portia pleads, “The quality of mercy is not strained” (Shakespeare 4.1.179).

Romeo exclaims, “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” (Shakespeare 2.2.2).

Juliet responds, “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet” (Shakespeare 2.2.43–44).

Iago warns, “Men should be what they seem” (Shakespeare 3.3.127).

Prospero renounces magic: “I’ll break my staff” (Shakespeare 5.1.54).

Puck boasts, “I am that merry wanderer of the night” (Shakespeare 2.1.39).

Malvolio dreams, “I may command where I obey” (Shakespeare 2.5.32).

Falstaff laughs, “I am not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men” (Shakespeare 1.2.9).

Dostoevsky, via Pevear and Volokhonsky, writes, “Beauty will save the world” (523).

Camus, translated by O’Brien, states, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer” (108).

Neruda, in translation by Tansey, says, “I want to do with you what spring does with cherry trees” (12).

Kafka, translated by Corngold, claims, “A cage went in search of a bird” (76).

Marquez, via Rabassa, writes, “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice” (1).

Rilke, translated by Barrows, advises, “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart” (35).

Tagore, in Fletcher’s translation, says, “We live in this world when we love it” (42).

Proust, translated by Davis, observes, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes” (5).

Césaire, translated by Eshleman and Reckley, declares, “No race possesses the monopoly of beauty, intelligence, or virtue” (88).

Lorca, via Gwynn, writes, “Green, how I want you green” (line 1).

Sappho, translated by Rayor, sings, “Like the sweet apple that reddens on a high branch” (fragment 7).

Goethe, in Boyle’s translation, states, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it” (112).

As Orwell writes, “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful” (237).

Woolf observes, “A woman must have money and a room of her own” (2).

Douglass states, “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man” (54).

de Beauvoir claims, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” (267).

Thoreau argues, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” (5).

Freire asserts, “Education is freedom” (73).

Fanon writes, “Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect” (2).

King notes, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (4).

Gandhi says, “Be the change you wish to see in the world” (101).

Said observes, “Every culture is a hybrid” (32).

hooks states, “Feminism is for everybody” (1).

Fanon adds, “Colonialism is not a thinking machine” (8).