100+ MLA Format Quote Examples & Copywriting Tips for Perfect Citations

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (Dickens 5).

“Call me Ishmael” (Melville 1).

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

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

“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).

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me” (Brontë 244).

“The creature was capable of human feeling, and something very like remorse” (Shelley 156).

“He had never been to a party before where people drank gin & cocktails” (Fitzgerald 43).

“She loved with the love of a passionate woman” (James 178).

“There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights” (Fitzgerald 39).

“The horror! The horror!” (Conrad 154).

“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream” (Hemingway 10).

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by” (Frost 18-19).

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate” (Shakespeare 1-2).

“Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me –” (Dickinson 1-2).

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons” (Eliot 51).

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

“Tyger Tyger, burning bright, / In the forests of the night” (Blake 1-2).

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings” (Shelley 10).

“I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills” (Wordsworth 1-2).

“Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul” (Dickinson 1-2).

“Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds” (Shakespeare 3-4).

“Nothing gold can stay” (Frost 8).

“I, too, sing America” (Hughes 1).

“Digital literacy is now a prerequisite for full participation in modern society” (Smith 214).

“Recent studies indicate a correlation between screen time and reduced attention spans” (Lee and Kim 89).

“The concept of identity in postcolonial discourse remains contested” (Gupta 102).

“Climate change narratives in media often lack scientific nuance” (Rodriguez 45).

“Peer-reviewed publications remain the gold standard in academic validation” (Taylor 301).

“Gender performance is not innate but socially constructed” (Butler 17).

“Urban planning must prioritize green spaces for mental health” (Nguyen 67).

“Algorithmic bias reflects societal inequalities” (Chen 225).

“Historical revisionism challenges dominant national narratives” (Owens 113).

“Multilingual education fosters cognitive flexibility” (Martinez 78).

“Ethnographic research requires long-term immersion” (Adams 156).

“Neuroplasticity supports lifelong learning capabilities” (Parker 92).

“I didn’t see myself as a leader until others began following” (Johnson, personal interview, 12 Mar. 2023).

“Creativity thrives under constraints, not freedom” (Lee, interview, 5 Apr. 2022).

“The turning point came when I stopped fearing failure” (Martinez, personal communication, 18 Jan. 2023).

“We need policies that listen to marginalized communities” (Williams, interview, 30 Nov. 2021).

“Success isn’t about visibility—it’s about impact” (Nguyen, personal interview, 7 Feb. 2023).

“Technology should serve people, not replace them” (Roberts, interview, 14 June 2022).

“My inspiration comes from everyday resilience” (Garcia, personal interview, 22 Oct. 2022).

“Education reform starts with teacher empowerment” (Brown, interview, 9 May 2021).

“Authenticity matters more than perfection” (Taylor, personal interview, 3 July 2023).

“Collaboration breaks down silos in innovation” (Clark, interview, 11 Dec. 2022).

“Art is how I process trauma and joy equally” (King, personal interview, 28 Aug. 2023).

“Listening is the most underrated leadership skill” (Wong, interview, 16 Mar. 2022).

“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” (*The Godfather* 00:12:34).

“Here’s looking at you, kid” (*Casablanca* 01:23:10).

“You can’t handle the truth!” (*A Few Good Men* 01:45:22).

“Life is like a box of chocolates” (*Forrest Gump* 00:34:15).

“I’ll be back” (*The Terminator* 00:50:10).

“Why so serious?” (*The Dark Knight* 01:18:44).

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” (*The Godfather Part II* 01:05:30).

“There’s no place like home” (*The Wizard of Oz* 01:55:20).

“Houston, we have a problem” (*Apollo 13* 01:30:12).

“You talking to me?” (*Taxi Driver* 00:42:18).

“I am your father” (*The Empire Strikes Back* 01:22:10).

“To infinity and beyond!” (*Toy Story* 00:15:05).

“Remote work has permanently reshaped corporate culture” (Green, “The Future of Work,” *Harvard Business Review*, 10 May 2023, www.hbr.org/future-of-work).

“AI-generated content challenges traditional notions of authorship” (Kim, “Who Owns Creativity?” *Wired*, 22 July 2023, www.wired.com/ai-authorship).

“Mental health awareness is rising, but access remains unequal” (Reed, “Mind Matters,” *The Guardian*, 5 Apr. 2023, www.theguardian.com/mental-health).

“Sustainable fashion is no longer a niche—it’s a necessity” (Price, “Ethical Style,” *Vogue*, 18 Mar. 2023, www.vogue.com/sustainable-fashion).

“Gen Z values purpose over prestige in career choices” (Yang, “Next-Gen Priorities,” *Forbes*, 30 June 2023, www.forbes.com/gen-z-careers).

“Digital detoxes are becoming mainstream wellness practices” (Bell, “Unplugged,” *Well+Good*, 12 Feb. 2023, www.wellandgood.com/digital-detox).

“Inclusive design benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities” (Grant, “Design for All,” *Fast Company*, 8 Aug. 2023, www.fastcompany.com/inclusive-design).

“Cryptocurrency regulation is lagging behind technological advances” (Fox, “Crypto Crackdown,” *Bloomberg*, 21 Sept. 2023, www.bloomberg.com/crypto-regulation).

“Plant-based diets are gaining traction beyond vegan communities” (Lane, “Beyond Meat,” *Eater*, 14 Jan. 2023, www.eater.com/plant-based-diets).

“Social media algorithms amplify outrage over nuance” (Cole, “Outrage Economy,” *The Atlantic*, 7 May 2023, www.theatlantic.com/algorithms).

“Urban farming is transforming food deserts into green oases” (Singh, “Growing Cities,” *National Geographic*, 3 July 2023, www.nationalgeographic.com/urban-farming).

“The gig economy offers flexibility but lacks security” (Walters, “Precarious Work,” *NPR*, 19 Apr. 2023, www.npr.org/gig-economy).

“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country” (Kennedy).

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up” (King).

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade” (Kennedy).

“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve your dreams” (Obama).

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

“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try” (Gandhi).

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor” (King).

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” (King).

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” (Gandhi).

“Yes, we can” (Obama).

“We shall fight on the beaches” (Churchill).

“We hold these truths to be self-evident” (Lincoln).

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

“All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players” (Shakespeare, *As You Like It* 2.7.139-40).

“Is this a dagger which I see before me?” (Shakespeare, *Macbeth* 2.1.33).

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet” (Shakespeare, *Romeo and Juliet* 2.2.43-44).

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks” (Shakespeare, *Hamlet* 3.2.205).

“Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind” (Shelley, *Prometheus Unbound* 1.1.15).

“I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space” (Shakespeare, *Hamlet* 2.2.254-55).

“Cowards die many times before their deaths” (Shakespeare, *Julius Caesar* 2.2.32).

“If music be the food of love, play on” (Shakespeare, *Twelfth Night* 1.1.1).

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy” (Shakespeare, *Hamlet* 1.5.166-67).

“Parting is such sweet sorrow” (Shakespeare, *Romeo and Juliet* 2.2.184).

“Brevity is the soul of wit” (Shakespeare, *Hamlet* 2.2.94).

“Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience” (McKee 4).

“The medium is the message” (McLuhan 7).

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Acton 35).

“History is written by the victors” (Churchill 102).

“Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking” (Whitehead 61).

“Imagination is more important than knowledge” (Einstein 24).

“The unexamined life is not worth living” (Plato 38).

“Man is the measure of all things” (Protagoras 17).

“Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others” (Churchill 210).

“Language is the road map of a culture” (Anzaldúa 55).

“Every moment is a fresh beginning” (Tennyson 88).

“Truth is stranger than fiction” (Byron 12).

“Progress isn’t always loud—sometimes it’s a quiet decision to keep going” (@MindfulWriter, Twitter, 14 Mar. 2023, 3:15 PM).

“Your vibe attracts your tribe” (@SoulBalance, Instagram, 7 Apr. 2023, www.instagram.com/soulbalance/post/xyz123).

“Burnout isn’t a badge of honor” (@WorkSmart, LinkedIn, 22 Feb. 2023, linkedin.com/pulse/burnout-isnt-badge-honor-worksmart).

“Small steps still move you forward” (@DailyMotivation, TikTok, 5 May 2023, tiktok.com/@dailymotivation/video/12345).

“Healing looks different for everyone—don’t rush it” (@TherapyThoughts, Twitter, 18 June 2023, 9:08 AM).

“Creativity doesn’t require perfection—just permission to begin” (@ArtStartsNow, Instagram, 10 July 2023, www.instagram.com/artstartsnow/post/abc456).

“Comparison steals joy—focus on your journey” (@OwnYourPath, Twitter, 1 Nov. 2023, 11:30 AM).

“Boundaries aren’t walls—they’re self-respect in action” (@HealthyRelationships, Instagram, 23 Aug. 2023, www.instagram.com/healthyrelationships/post/def789).

“You don’t need to be ‘productive’ to be worthy” (@SlowLiving, TikTok, 12 Sept. 2023, tiktok.com/@slowliving/video/67890).

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough” (@JoyfulHeart, Facebook, 3 Jan. 2023, facebook.com/joyfulheart/posts/gratitude).

“Rest is part of the process, not a reward for finishing” (@PauseAndBreathe, LinkedIn, 14 Apr. 2023, linkedin.com/pulse/rest-is-part-process-pauseandbreathe).

“You are allowed to outgrow people who don’t support your growth” (@SelfWorthJourney, Twitter, 25 May 2023, 7:22 PM).