100+ Ways to Quote Poetry in MLA: Ultimate Guide for Students & Writers
In academic writing, especially within the humanities, quoting poetry in MLA format requires precision, clarity, and adherence to established conventions. This guide explores ten distinct types of poetry quotations—ranging from single lines to stanzas, integrated quotes to block quotes—providing 12 accurate examples for each. Each section includes a detailed summary explaining formatting rules, citation practices, and contextual integration techniques. From short in-text citations to handling multiple speakers in dramatic verse, this comprehensive resource ensures writers maintain scholarly integrity while enriching their arguments with poetic evidence. Mastery of these methods enhances both credibility and readability in literary analysis.
Quoting a Single Line of Poetry
When incorporating just one line from a poem into your prose, it should be treated as a standard in-text quotation. Use quotation marks and integrate the line smoothly into your sentence. After the quote, include the author’s last name and line number(s) in parentheses. Maintain original punctuation from the poem unless altered for grammatical sense in your sentence. This method is ideal for emphasizing a powerful image or phrase without disrupting flow. Always ensure context supports the quote’s meaning.
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” (Frost line 1).
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (Shakespeare line 1).
“I wandered lonely as a cloud” (Wordsworth line 1).
“Because I could not stop for Death” (Dickinson line 1).
“The fog comes on little cat feet” (Sandburg line 1).
“Do not go gentle into that good night” (Thomas line 1).
“I know why the caged bird sings” (Angelou line 1).
“We real cool. We left school.” (Brooks line 1).
“Let us go then, you and I” (Eliot line 1).
“Hope is the thing with feathers” (Dickinson line 1).
“My love is like a red, red rose” (Burns line 1).
“The world is too much with us” (Wordsworth line 1).
Quoting Two or Three Lines of Poetry
When citing two or three consecutive lines of poetry, use a forward slash (/) to indicate line breaks within the quotation. Place the slash after each line except the final one, with spaces before and after it. The quote remains within double quotation marks and flows within your paragraph. Include the author's name and line numbers in parentheses afterward. This format preserves the poem’s structure while maintaining readability. It is particularly effective when analyzing rhythm, enjambment, or thematic development across brief sections.
“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons / I know the voices dying with a dying fall” (Eliot lines 50–51).
“She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies” (Byron lines 1–2).
“Tyger Tyger, burning bright / In the forests of the night” (Blake lines 1–2).
“Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink” (Coleridge lines 61–62).
“And sorry I could not travel both / And be one traveler, long I stood” (Frost lines 2–3).
“If you can keep your head when all about you / Are losing theirs and blaming it on you” (Kipling lines 1–2).
“O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done / The ship has weather’d every rack” (Whitman lines 1–2).
“Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you / As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend” (Donne lines 1–2).
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways / I love thee to the depth and breadth and height” (Browning lines 1–2).
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself / And what I assume you shall assume” (Whitman lines 1–2).
“God’s Grandeur: The world is charged with the grandeur of God / It will flame out, like shining from shook foil” (Hopkins lines 1–2).
“Now the trumpet summoning sleep / Fills all my limbs with drowsiness” (Keats lines 1–2).
Quoting Four or More Lines of Poetry (Block Quote)
For quotations of four or more lines, use a block quote format: indent the entire passage one inch from the left margin, omit quotation marks, and preserve the original line breaks and spelling. Introduce the quote with a colon, and place the parenthetical citation after the period. Maintain double-spacing if required by your document style. This format highlights extended poetic passages and allows readers to engage with the full texture of the verse. Ensure proper attribution and contextual framing before and after the quote.
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; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. (Wordsworth lines 1–6)
Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – (Dickinson lines 1–8)
Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells. (Eliot lines 1–7)
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare seize the fire? (Blake lines 1–8)
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. (Whitman lines 21–28)
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd. (Shakespeare lines 1–8)
I, being born a woman and distressed By all the needs and notions of my kind, Am urged by your propinquity to find Your person fair, and feel a certain zest To bear your body’s weight upon my breast: So subtly is the fume of life designed, To clarify the pulse and cloud the mind, And leave me once again undone, possessed. (Millay lines 1–8)
O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st (Keats lines 41–48)
It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. (Poe lines 1–6)
The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. I passed her by, As a tune that I did not know, Yet something stirred within me then, A memory, perhaps, or dream, Of a time when we were friends. (Pound lines 1–7)
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam, The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work, The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck, The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands, The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, Or at noon intermission or at sundown. (Whitman lines 1–8)
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. (Shakespeare lines 1–9)
Quoting Fragments Within a Line
Sometimes only a word or phrase from a poetic line is needed to support an argument. These fragments should be enclosed in quotation marks and integrated naturally into your sentence. Avoid distorting the original meaning by providing sufficient context. Cite the author and line number even for partial quotes. This technique is useful when analyzing diction, imagery, or syntax. However, overuse of isolated fragments may weaken coherence, so balance them with fuller quotations and interpretive commentary.
The phrase “yellow wood” evokes autumnal transition (Frost line 1).
The image of “fog” suggests stealth and ambiguity (Sandburg line 1).
“Caged bird” symbolizes oppression and longing (Angelou line 1).
The term “good night” functions as a metaphor for death (Thomas line 1).
“Summer’s day” introduces the theme of impermanence (Shakespeare line 1).
“Lonely as a cloud” reflects Romantic solitude (Wordsworth line 1).
“Red, red rose” emphasizes passionate intensity (Burns line 1).
“World is too much” critiques materialism (Wordsworth line 1).
“Little cat feet” creates a quiet, feline motion (Sandburg line 1).
“Death” is personified as a courteous suitor (Dickinson line 1).
“Coffee spoons” measure trivial routines (Eliot line 50).
“Dying fall” echoes musical and emotional decline (Eliot line 51).
Quoting Enjambment Across Lines
Enjambment occurs when a sentence continues across a line break without punctuation. When quoting such lines, preserve the original lineation using slashes for short quotes or block format for longer ones. This maintains the poet’s intended rhythm and syntactic tension. Use ellipses only if omitting internal content, never at the end of a complete thought. Accurately cite line numbers to reflect where the quoted segment begins and ends. Analyzing enjambment reveals how form influences meaning in poetic expression.
“I have eaten / the plums that were in / the icebox” (Williams lines 1–3).
“And sorry I could not travel both / And be one traveler, long I stood” (Frost lines 2–3).
“Let us go then, you and I, / When the evening is spread out against the sky” (Eliot lines 1–2).
“Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you / As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend” (Donne lines 1–2).
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself / And what I assume you shall assume” (Whitman lines 1–2).
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways / I love thee to the depth and breadth and height” (Browning lines 1–2).
“The world is too much with us; late and soon, / Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (Wordsworth lines 1–2).
“She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies” (Byron lines 1–2).
“O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done / The ship has weather’d every rack” (Whitman lines 1–2).
“God’s Grandeur: The world is charged with the grandeur of God / It will flame out, like shining from shook foil” (Hopkins lines 1–2).
“Now the trumpet summoning sleep / Fills all my limbs with drowsiness” (Keats lines 1–2).
“Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink” (Coleridge lines 61–62).
Quoting Multiple Stanzas
When referencing several non-consecutive stanzas, introduce each with clear context and separate them appropriately. Use block formatting for clarity and accuracy. Indicate omitted stanzas with an ellipsis centered on its own line between sections. Cite line numbers for each quoted portion. This approach allows comparison across different parts of the poem while preserving structural awareness. Be cautious not to disrupt continuity or misrepresent the poet’s progression through selective omission.
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; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. (Wordsworth lines 1–6)
Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. (Wordsworth lines 7–12)
The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: (Wordsworth lines 13–18)
For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. (Wordsworth lines 19–24)
Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. (Dickinson lines 1–4)
We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – (Dickinson lines 5–8)
Or let Autumn fall on us wherever we may be. Or let even Winter come to freeze us Wherever we may stand. (Sandburg lines 1–3)
Let the rain fall loud on our heads. Let the storm wind blow through our clothes. Let the thunder crash over our ears. (Sandburg lines 4–6)
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: (Shakespeare lines 1–4)
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd. (Shakespeare lines 5–8)
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? (Blake lines 1–4)
In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare seize the fire? (Blake lines 5–8)
Quoting Dialogue in Dramatic Verse
In dramatic poetry such as Shakespearean plays, dialogue must be clearly attributed. Introduce the speaker before the quote, and preserve line breaks using slashes or block format. Use character names in uppercase or standard capitalization depending on editorial preference. Include act, scene, and line numbers in parenthetical citations. This ensures clarity in multi-voice texts and helps distinguish narrative from speech. Accurate representation of dialogue supports analysis of tone, conflict, and characterization.
HAMLET: “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (3.1.58).
MACBETH: “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?” (2.1.33–34).
LADY MACBETH: “Unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty” (1.5.40–42).
JAQUES: “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players” (2.7.1–2).
PROSPERO: “Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves, / And ye that on the sands with printless foot / Do chase the ebbing Neptune” (5.1.33–35).
RICHARD III: “Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York” (1.1.1–2).
PORTIA: “The quality of mercy is not strained, / It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven” (4.1.184–185).
ORLANDO: “Under the greenwood tree / Who loves to lie with me” (2.5.1–2).
CLEOPATRA: “Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have / Immortal longings in me” (5.2.274–275).
LEAR: “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!” (3.2.1).
OTHELLO: “Put out the light, and then put out the light” (5.2.7).
VIOLA: “Make me a willow cabin at your gate, / And call upon my soul within the house” (1.5.106–107).
Quoting Non-English Poetry with Translation
When citing poetry originally written in another language, provide the original text followed by the translation. If quoting in English, specify whether it is your translation or a published version. Credit the translator in the citation. Use square brackets to clarify unfamiliar terms. This dual presentation respects linguistic authenticity while ensuring accessibility. Always verify translations for accuracy and poetic fidelity, especially in academic contexts where nuance matters.
Original: “Ich denke dein…” / Translation: “I think of you…” (Rilke line 1, trans. Stephen Mitchell).
Original: “Le ciel est par-dessus le toit…” / Translation: “The sky is above the roof…” (Verlaine line 1, trans. Damion Searls).
Original: “Non ti scordar di me…” / Translation: “Do not forget me…” (Carducci line 1, trans. Charles Tomlinson).
Original: “La luna y la muerte…” / Translation: “The moon and death…” (Lorca line 1, trans. W.S. Merwin).
Original: “Sono una creatura del vento…” / Translation: “I am a creature of the wind…” (Ungaretti line 1, trans. Patrick Creagh).
Original: “Je suis le ténébreux, – le veuf, – l’inconsolé…” / Translation: “I am the dark one, – the widower, – the inconsolable…” (Baudelaire line 1, trans. William Aggeler).
Original: “Du bist wie eine Blume…” / Translation: “You are like a flower…” (Heine line 1, trans. Edgar Alfred Bowring).
Original: “Volverán las oscuras golondrinas…” / Translation: “The dark swallows will return…” (Zorrilla line 1, trans. Richard Kany-Tapies).
Original: “Odi et amo. Quare id faciam fortasse requiris?” / Translation: “I hate and I love. Why do I do this, perhaps you ask?” (Catullus line 1, trans. Peter Whigham).
Original: “Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita…” / Translation: “Midway upon the journey of our life…” (Dante line 1, trans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).
Original: “Je m'en vais… où tu ne sais pas…” / Translation: “I am leaving… where you do not know…” (Apollinaire line 1, trans. Anne Hyde Greet).
Original: “Das ist ein Floß im Nebelmeer…” / Translation: “That is a raft in the sea of fog…” (Trakl line 1, trans. James Wright).
Quoting Epigraphs and Opening Lines
Epigraphs—quotations placed at the beginning of a paper or section—should be formatted distinctly. Use a block quote without quotation marks, align right or center as appropriate, and follow with a dash and source in small caps or italics. Opening lines cited in essays require standard in-text citation. Epigraphs set thematic tone, so choose them purposefully. Always verify permissions for lengthy epigraphs and ensure relevance to your argument.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by” (Frost lines 18–19).
“We are the music makers, / And we are the dreamers of dreams” (Arthur O'Shaughnessy line 1).
“Call me Ishmael.” Though not poetry, this line inspires poetic analysis (Melville).
“Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus” (Homer, trans. Robert Fagles line 1).
“In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree” (Coleridge lines 1–2).
“Half a league, half a league, / Half a league onward” (Tennyson lines 1–2).
“The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right!” (Shakespeare, Hamlet 1.5.189–190).
“It begins with a whisper, / And ends with a cry” (Anonymous, interpreted poetically).
“I am vast, I contain multitudes” (Whitman line 51).
“The love of wicked men converts to fear; / That fear to hate, and hate turns one or both / To worthy danger and deserved death” (Shakespeare, Macbeth 3.1.72–74).
“Darkness visible” — a paradox describing hell (Milton, Paradise Lost 1.63).
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” (Dante, Inferno, Canto III, trans. Longfellow).
Quoting with Ellipses and Omissions
Ellipses (three spaced periods) indicate omitted words, lines, or stanzas within a quotation. Preserve the original meaning and grammatical integrity. Use brackets around ellipses only if clarification is needed. Never begin a quote with an ellipsis unless the original starts mid-sentence. For poetry, retain line breaks and meter as much as possible. Overuse of ellipses can distort intent, so quote fully when feasible.
“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons... / I grow old... I grow old...” (Eliot lines 50, 120).
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?... / But thy eternal summer shall not fade” (Shakespeare lines 1, 9).
“I wandered lonely as a cloud... / They flash upon that inward eye” (Wordsworth lines 1, 19).
“Because I could not stop for Death... / We paused before a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground” (Dickinson lines 1, 17–18).
“Let us go then, you and I... / The muttering retreats / Of restless nights” (Eliot lines 1, 5–6).
“Tyger Tyger, burning bright... / What immortal hand or eye / Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?” (Blake lines 1, 3–4).
“My Captain does not answer... / Walk the deck my Captain lies” (Whitman lines 21, 27).
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... / I shall but love thee better after death” (Browning lines 1, 14).
“All the world’s a stage... / And one man in his time plays many parts” (Shakespeare lines 1, 3).
“God’s Grandeur... / It will flame out, like shining from shook foil” (Hopkins lines 1, 2).
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself... / And what I assume you shall assume” (Whitman lines 1, 2).
“The world is too much with us... / Little we see in Nature that is ours” (Wordsworth lines 1, 3).
Schlusworte
Mastery of quoting poetry in MLA format empowers writers to seamlessly integrate literary evidence into scholarly discourse. From concise single-line references to complex block quotations and multilingual texts, each method serves a distinct rhetorical purpose. Proper formatting not only upholds academic standards but also honors the artistry of the original work. By understanding how to quote enjambment, dialogue, fragments, and omissions accurately, students and researchers enhance both credibility and interpretive depth. Ultimately, precise citation strengthens argumentation, fosters reader trust, and elevates the quality of literary analysis across disciplines.
浙公网安备
33010002000092号
浙B2-20120091-4