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MLA Style Guide: Poetry

MLA Style Guide

Citing poetry and poetry interpretation or criticism

A book of literary criticism with one author
Parenthetical

...end of the sentence (Brooks 126).

Model: ...end of the sentence (Author [page #]).

Works Cited

Brooks, Cleanth. Modern Poetry and the Tradition. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1939. Print.

Model: Author lastname, firstname. Book title. Publication city: Publisher, Date. Print.

  This is a book about a number of poets, which includes a chapter about Auden.
 
A poem in a book/anthology compiled by the author
Parenthetical

...the end of your sentence (Auden 219).

Works Cited

Auden, W. H. "XX." The Collected Poetry of W. H. Auden. By Auden. New York: Random House, 1945. Print.

Model: Author lastname, firstname. "Poem Title." Title of Book. By author lastname. Publication city: Publisher, date. Print.

  This is a book of Auden's poetry, compiled by Auden.
 
A poem in a book/anthology compiled by an editor(s)
Parenthetical

... the end of your sentence (Auden 94).

Model: ...the end of your sentence (poem author [page]).

Works Cited

Auden, W. H. "Journey to Iceland." The Poetry Anthology, 1912-2002. Ed Joseph Parisi and Stephen Young. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2002. Print.

Model: Poem author lastname, firstname. "Title of Poem." Title of Anthology. Ed. Firstname Lastname. Publication city: Publisher, Date. Print.