How do I cite a poem from an anthology in MLA?
Answer
To cite a poem from an anthology in MLA, include the following information:
- The author
- The title of the poem
- The container (title of the anthology)
- Contributors (if applicable)
- Edition (if applicable)
- Volume (if applicable)
- Publisher
- The year of publication
- The location
Formatting a citation for a poem from an anthology in MLA style should follow the structure and examples below:
Format:
Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Poem." The Container, Contributors, contributor title, edition, volume number, Publisher, Year of Publication, page number(s).
Example:
Gascoigne, George. "The Divorce of a Lover." English Sixteenth-Century Verse: An Anthology, Richard S. Sylvester, general editor, W. W. Norton, 1984, pp. 250-1.
NOTES:
- If the reference covers only a single page use p. instead of pp.
- If you are using an online version of an anthology, use a DOI in place of page numbers.
When citing a poem in the body of you text, include the author's last name and the relevant lines.
Examples:
First citation:
(Gascoigne lines 4-5)
Subsequent citations:
(Gascoigne 8)
For more information, see section 6.3 and Appendix 2 page 317 in the MLA Handbook.