How to Cite a Poem in MLA: Complete Guide with Examples

One of the most asked questions of students is how to cite a poem MLA. Referencing poems differs significantly from referencing novels and articles. This is because they do not adhere to the outdated guidelines: they use lines as a substitute for pages and slashes in place of paragraphs. Additionally, poems have unique formatting features, which might confuse even an experienced writer. Hence, this guide explains how to cite a poem in MLA style with clear examples, to help you cite all references without confusion. If you'd rather double-check the rest of your paper's references at the same time, our free MLA Referencing Generator can handle that in seconds.

What Is MLA Poem Citation Format?

The MLA poem citation format is the specific referencing guideline for poetry as per the ninth edition of the Modern Language Association citation style. It describes the way poetry lines should be incorporated into your text and how you should make a citation in the Works Cited page. Unlike the normal MLA format guide, poetry citations usually make use of line numbers rather than page numbers, as many poems are published with line numbers in the margin. The specific MLA poem citation format is based on three parameters.:

Whether the poem is line-numbered
Whether it is from a book, an anthology, a website, or a journal
How many lines you need to cite.

MLA In-Text Citation for a Poem

The MLA in text citation poem style requires that the author's last name and line number(s) or page number be used if there is any. It all depends on how the poem is formatted. The objective is to provide direction to the reader to where he can find the work in your Works Cited list.

There are three types of MLA citation poem that are, as follows:

Citing by Line Number

In case of line numbers being present on the side or margin of the poem, the line numbers should be used for citing the source instead of the page number. The word 'line' or 'lines' must always be used in the first citation, while the numbers alone would suffice afterwards. For instance, to cite a poem MLA, follow the structure below,

"Whose books these are I think I know" (John, line 1). Later citations: (John 14–15).

Citing by Page Number

For poems without line numbers but published in a physical book or anthology, cite the page number in the same manner as prose. This is the correct poem citation MLA format, which is used for in-text citations of poems without line numbers. For example:

"the below poem, replaces rivalry with admiration" (Frost 237)

Citing a Poem with No Author or Line Numbers

Short poems, which are only one page long or their virtual counterpart, often do not need a page number included in the parenthetical citation. This is because the reference in your works cited list of the source's page or website will be sufficient to locate the information. Just include the name of the poet in parentheses, or mention it within the sentence itself. For instance:

"The speaker in Angelou's poem displays her strength through unwavering assurance (Angelou)."

How to Quote a Poem in MLA (Formatting Rules)

Short poetry of up to three lines is cited by enclosing it in quotation marks and forward slashes, while poetry exceeding four lines should be cited as a block quotation without quotation marks. For both cases, the structure of the poem must remain intact in terms of spacing between lines.

However, learning how to quote a poem in MLA appropriately usually depends on its length..

Quoting Short Poetry (Three Lines or Fewer)

Quotes from poems that are between half a line and three lines may also be incorporated into your sentence through quotation marks, unless there is a requirement to emphasise the quote. The line breaks should be marked by a slash, with spaces before and after it.

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep" (14-15) illustrates a sense of silent doubt.

Quoting Long Poetry (Block Quotations)

Quoting long poetry using the MLA poem citation method is different from APA or Chicago style citation because it needs a block format, removal of quotation marks and citations of line numbers. Here are the steps for block quotations to cite references in a long poem:

Step 1: The block should start on a new line.
Step 2: The whole block should be indented by half an inch from the left margin.
Step 3: Omit the quotation marks.
Step 4: All the original spaces between the lines of the poem should be the same as the original poem.
Step 5: Place the parenthetical citation [( )] after the last punctuation mark.

Here is an example for the same:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. (Frost, lines 13–16)

MLA Works Cited Format for a Poem

MLA format for citing a poem starts with the surname of the poet and the title of the poem placed within quotation marks, followed by details regarding where the work has been published, such as the book, website or journal and even the page number or URL. There is a slight variation in the quote poetry MLA format for works cited poem according to the type of source.

Here are the differences between the three most common formats.

Citing a Poem from a Book or Anthology

The majority of poems used in the classroom were derived from a collection of poems or an anthology. Therefore, the works cited entry would include the poet's name, title of the poem in quotation marks, title of the collection, the name of the editor, edition, publishing company, year of publication, and the page numbers. The following is an example of an MLA works cited poem for better understanding of the format:

Jonson, Ben. "To the Memory of My Beloved, the Author Mr. William Shakespeare." The Norton Anthology of Poetry, edited by Alexander Allison et al., 3rd ed., Norton, 1983, pp. 239

Citing a Poem from a Website

Students who wish to cite poem from website MLA style, they should first put the website's name in italics along with the publisher, date of publication, and full URL of the web address. In case you cannot find the date of publication, include the access date. Here is a works cited format example:

Oliver, Mary. "Wild Geese." Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43853/wild-geese. Accessed 12 July 2026.

Citing a Poem from a Journal

Students who need to cite their poems, which were published in an academic paper or journal, should follow the MLA journal structure, including the issue number, listing their volume and page ranges to locate where the poem actually appears in that journal. Here is an example for citing a poem in MLA format taken from a journal:

Rivera, Carlos. "Night Migration." Ploughshares, vol. 49, no. 3, 2023, pp. 112–13.

Common Mistakes When Citing a Poem in MLA

Using "l." or "ll." as Abbreviations

There are still several authors who prefer using abbreviations like "l." for denoting one line and "ll." for denoting several lines, since this practice was common in regular citations. In MLA 9, the terms "line" and "lines" should be written out fully in the first citation to make it clearer.

Forgetting the Slash in Run-in Quotes

In case the quotation of poems is done for two to three lines in the paragraph, the slash sign (/) should be used to show each line break in the original quoting sources. In the absence of the slash sign, the quoted lines will take the form of prose and, therefore, the structure of the poem will change.

Mixing Page and Line Numbers

Combining page numbers and line numbers in a single parenthetical citation is not proper. As per MLA rules, the writer can select the appropriate style of citation based on the type of source. If the poem has numbered lines, then the writer needs to cite the line numbers; otherwise, the page numbers can be cited if there are any.

Italicizing Single Poem Titles

The name of a poem should never be put in italics but, instead, should always appear within quotation marks. It is quite the contrary for books since their names must always be italicised. Such confusion may arise from mixing up the two ways of citing since one may doubt whether the name refers to a poem or to a book.

Skipping the Access Date for Online Sources

In cases where a poem on a website is cited and there is no information on the year of publication or the year in which it was last updated, most writers fail to include the year they accessed the material. MLA recommends that an access date be included because online sources can be altered, relocated, or even deleted without notice.

Final Thoughts

Summing up, now you know how to cite a poem MLA style. It depends upon three things: the choice to use line numbers or page numbers, whether to quote the poem depending upon the length of the quote and finally, the Works Cited format that depends upon the source from which you are citing. Once these three choices have been made, the rest of the citation follows a similar pattern. When citing poetry in an essay, you can use the above examples to understand the right structure. However, if you are struggling with strict deadlines and seeking help, then connect with Global Assignment Help's qualified writers. You can also cross-check every other citation style used in your paper with our APA, Harvard, and Chicago referencing generators.