How To Cite A Poem? All You Need To Know

Poetry is not just words; it’s an art of expression. We all know that poetry is one of the most artistic and beautiful forms of writing, and it can be a valuable resource to consider a paper topic. What if we tell you that poetry can be used as evidence for a research paper to get a good grade? Surprised? Well, don’t be because you can do it all with just a few clicks. If you are thinking about how to cite a poem quickly in your research paper, then bingo, you have landed on the right site.

In this article, we will go through all the details on how to cite a poem using various citation styles and unleash some key factors to elevate your research paper. Let’s begin. 

Why Should You Cite A Poem? 

Now, why would I cite a poem in my work? Are we in the 90s? Well, the truth is poetry never goes off the trend, and if you’re a literature student, then you can understand it better. If you are writing a literature paper, a thesis or even an essay, highlighting poetry and providing citations may be beneficial. 

Poetry citations will add value to the work. Moreover, it will show how enthusiastic you are about arts and literature. Many literature professors think that nowadays, students don’t value poetry as it should be. Think of it this way: we all are well familiar with how major Speaksphere was, but do we know about this work and his artistic thoughts? Unfortunately, we don’t. 

The professor thinks that students have forgotten the essence of true literature and poetry from the past. Providing a citation to an old poem or even a new one will create an impression of how much you value the thoughts of authors. Furthermore, it will create your impression of a thoughtful person. By now, you must have understood the value of adding poetry citations to your research work. However, the major question is how to cite a poem. Well, it’s not as tough as it sounds. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps, and you can do it effortlessly. Here’s how to cite a poem. 

What To Look For Before Citing a Poem?

Well, you are citing a poem in your literature paper. You have to be very considerate because there’s no room for mistakes. A bad or false citation can leave a negative impression on your instructor or reader. Here are some things that you may look at prior to referring to a poem in your research paper or essay. 

• The poet’s first and last name
• Title of the poem
• Title of the book where you located or read the poem (if applicable)
• Book editor’s first and last name (if applicable)
• Publisher Name
• Year published
• Page numbers

Now, we have a checklist of what things we need to get started with regarding our citations. Let’s look further at how to cite a poem. 

How To Cite A Poem In Harvard Referencing Style? 

Harvard referencing style is one of the most popular styles of citation. From any book reference to a song, you can cite anything using the Harvard referencing style. Harvard referencing style is widely used and recognized by Universities across the globe. Whether you’re doing academic writing or an English essay, you can use the Harvard referencing style to cite your work. We could also cite a poem in Harvard style. Here’s an example template on how to cite a poem in Harvard style. 

Formula: 

Poet Last Name, First Initial. (Year) ‘Poem title’, in Last Name, Initial (ed.) Book title. Location: Publisher, pp. xx-xx.

Example:

Frost, R. (2015) ‘The road not taken’, in Swank, L. (ed.) An introduction to American poetry. New York: Viking Press, pp. 48-49.

How To Cite A Poem In MLA Reference Styling? 

MLA reference style is the second most commonly used referencing style after APA. MLA referencing style can also be used to cite a poem. If you are looking for a way to cite a poem in MLA format, then here’s an example and a format template that will help you understand it better. 

Formula:

Poet Last Name, First Name. “Title of Poem.” Title of Book: Subtitle if Any, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, Edition if given and is not first, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of Publication, pp. xx-xx.

Example:

Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” An Introduction to American Poetry, edited by Lisa Swank, Viking Press, 2015, pp. 48-49.

How To Cite A Poem In APA Style? 

APA referencing style is the most loved format by instructors and universities. You will see every other university asking their students to use APA-style referencing in their research papers, essays and projects. However, many students get confused about providing an APA style, or they often provide the wrong edition for the work. If you are looking for an APA referencing style for your poem, then here’s a formula template and an example to help you understand it better. 

Formula:

Poet Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Poem title. In Editor Initial Last Name (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.

Example:

Frost, R. (2015). The road was not taken. In L. Swank (Ed.), An introduction to American poetry (pp. 48-49). Viking Press.

How To Cite A Poem Using Various Kinds Of Tools? 

With the above example, you must have gotten an idea about the formats that you have to follow to create a perfect and correct poem citation. But you must be wondering how to generate it and how would you know if it’s correct or not. Do we have to generate it manually? 

Well, the simple answer is no; you do not have to write it on your own. There are some citation-generating software that can be used to get correct poetry citations. Here, we have compiled a list of some poetry citation generators that can help you. 

Endnote

Endnote is one of the widely used citation-generating tools that create valid citation links. You can generate all kinds of citation referencing styles, including MLA, Chicago, APA, and Harvard, by using Endnote. Additionally, on the Endnote, you get to decide which edition of a specific citation you want. For example, if you wish to generate a Harvard referencing style, then you have to choose which edition you’re looking for. So, if you are looking for a valid citation-generating tool for text and bibliography, then Endnote is your new mate. 

Scribbr

Scribbr, like other tools, doesn’t require any formal introduction because you must have crossed paths with it if you are an internet user. They not only provide citation services but also provide you with AI and plagiarism detection under one roof. So, if you are looking for a single tool to cite a poem and check Plagiarism, then buy a Scribbr subscription today and rest assured. Many students are highly satisfied with their citation services, and you can get them, too. 

Online Websites

Nowadays, we see multiple websites advertising their citation services. You will see fancy emails and YouTube ads that will convince you to switch to their website and get your citations done. But are you aware that those citations are not correct? We know this might come as a shock, but most online websites providing citations for poems, books, journals, and songs are actually cracks. Once your instructor adds those citations to verify, you’ll be caught. As a result, you can get an F. You really don’t want to fail at an essay. That’s why it is always better to use an authentic tool or software to add citations for poems and research projects. 

Can AI Help? 

Artificial intelligence is our new secret buddy that we all use, but we don’t tell anybody about it. AI is still quite underrated. You can use it far better. What if we tell you that you can finish your research paper much faster by using an AI tool that will help you get all the information and citations to finish your work before the deadline arrives? 

Arvin AI is a newly launched AI tool that has helped many students finish their research papers quickly. The best thing about Arvin that distinguishes it from others is that it can also generate citations for you. What if we tell you that you can cite a poem using Arvin AI? Surprised? Well, here’s how to cite a poem using Arvin. 

APA  & Harvard Style Citations With Arvin

If you wish to generate a citation for your poem in APA referencing style, then all you have to do is switch to Arvin and get a command. Here’s how to cite a poem in APA format using Arvin. 

• Open your laptop browser and search for Arvin AI of Arvin Chat. 
• You will see a website called arvin.chat on top, which is the official website. 
• Click on it and wait for a second, and the new interface will start. 
• Go to the top right corner and sign up to Arvin. 
• You can sign in directly using your Google account, or you can create a new account by adding some basic information about you, such as email, your name and your date of birth. 
• Sign in, and you will see a chat box. 
• Click on the chat box and write “Create a citation for a poem named “Still I Rise” in APA style and enter it. 

• You’ll get your citation for the poem within a second. 

• On the other hand, Write “Create a Harvard style citation for “Still I Rise” Poem and enter it. 
• You’ll get your poem citation in Harvard referencing style within seconds. 

How To Add In-Text Citation in A Poem? 

Citing a poem doesn’t only mean creating a reference for your research paper bibliography. You also have to give in-text citations within the paragraph, which are crucial to provide. Suppose you have to provide an MLA citation for a poem. Here’s what you have to do. 

Write the author’s full name and title of the poem to mention in the prose in the first time part. You can use narrative, parenthetical citation or prose in-text citation to cite a poem in your research paper. 

Citation in Prose format and example:

Author’s First and Last Name “Title of Poem” OR “Title of Poem” Author’s First and Last Name .

In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Robert Frost uses repetition to present.

Parenthetical Citation format and example:

(Author’s Last Name)

(Frost)

If you are discussing more than one of the author’s poems, then you will share it as:

(Author’s Last Name Title of Work)

(Frost “Stopping”)

Final Verdict

Citing a poem is a crucial factor, and you don’t have to mess with it. False or wrong citations will harm you more than benefit you, and that is why you have to be very considerate. Always try to use an authentic tool to add citations for your research paper, regardless of how big or small it is. Just follow these simple steps, and you can do it too. 

FAQs about How to Cite a Poem

Q1: Can we generate an in-text MLA Poem Citation? 

Yes, you can. Just use author’s last name as a citation in the paragraph to quote which ever paragraph is reffered too. 

Q2: Given an example of MLA citation for Poem? 

Author of Poem’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Poem.” Title of Book: Subtitle if Any, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, Edition if given and is not first, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of Publication, pp. Page Numbers of the Poem.

Q3: Is A Poem in Quotes or Italics? 

A poem should be quoted in quotation marks if the work is shortened. However, long essays and stories are quoted in italics.