How to Cite a Poem: MLA, APA, Chicago & Turabian Style

Citing a poem can feel confusing because poetry uses line breaks, line numbers, quotation marks, and different rules in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian style. The good news is that the process becomes much easier once you know what each style is asking for.

This guide explains the core information you need, how short and long poetry quotations work, and how to format poem citations in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian for common student papers.

Key Elements for Citing a Poem

Before you format the citation, collect the basic source details. Most poem citations use the same building blocks, even though each style arranges them differently.

How to Cite and Quote Poetry?

Citing means showing where the poem or quoted lines came from. Quoting means using the poem’s exact words in your own sentence or paragraph.

The right style depends on your assignment, course, department, or instructor. Literature and humanities classes often use MLA or Chicago/Turabian, while social science courses may ask for APA.

Poetry quotations also depend on length. Short excerpts usually stay in the sentence, while longer excerpts are set apart as block quotations. The table below gives a quick comparison.

Short Quotes (1-3 Lines)

Long Quotes (More Than 3 Lines / 40+ Words)

How to Cite a Poem in MLA

MLA (Modern Language Association) is common in literature, language studies, and other humanities courses. For short poetry quotations, keep the excerpt in your sentence, use slashes to show line breaks, and cite the poet’s last name with the relevant line or page information when available.

MLA In-Text Citations for Poetry

In MLA format, the parenthetical citation changes depending on whether the source gives line numbers, page numbers, or no numbering. Use the numbering the source actually provides; do not invent line numbers for a web poem that does not show them.

1. Citing a Poem with Numbered Lines

If the poem provides line numbers, cite those line numbers instead of page numbers so readers can locate the quoted lines.

✅ Short Quote Example (1-3 lines):

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

✅ Long Quote Example (4+ lines):

The speaker reflects on beauty:

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date (Shakespeare 1-4).

2. Citing a Poem Published on Multiple Pages

If the poem appears across pages in a book or anthology and no line numbers are supplied, cite the relevant page number or range.

✅ Short Quote Example (1-3 lines):

Eliot describes a bleak scene: "The winter evening settles down / With smell of steaks in passageways" (23).

✅ Long Quote Example (4+ lines):

The poem opens with urban imagery:

The winter evening settles down
With smell of steaks in passageways.
Six o’clock.
The burnt-out ends of smoky days (Eliot 23).

3. Citing a Poem with No Line or Page Numbers

If a web poem has no line numbers, page numbers, or other stable locator, cite the poet’s name without adding invented numbers.

✅ Short Quote Example (1-3 lines):

Angelou declares, "You may shoot me with your words, / You may cut me with your eyes" (Angelou).

✅ Long Quote Example (4+ lines):

The speaker expresses resilience:

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise (Angelou).

Consecutive Citations of the Same Poem in MLA

After the first MLA citation, keep later citations concise. If the poet and poem are already clear from context, the parenthetical citation can usually focus on the new line or page numbers needed to locate the quotation.

If your paper discusses several poems by the same poet, include a shortened poem title when needed so readers know which work you mean. When line numbers are available, include them for the specific passage you quote or discuss.

Example:

• First citation: Frost explores the traveler’s decision: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could not travel both" (lines 18-19).

• Subsequent citation: He further reflects, "I shall be telling this with a sigh" (line 20).

MLA Works Cited entry for Poetry

An MLA Works Cited entry starts with the poet’s name and the poem title in quotation marks, then gives the container where the poem appears, such as a book, anthology, or website. The format changes based on that source type.

1. Poem from a Book (Single Author)

If the poem appears in a collection by the same poet, cite the poem title first, then the book title, publisher, year, and page number if needed.

2. Poem from an Anthology

If the poem appears in an anthology with multiple writers, include the anthology title, editor, publisher, year, and page range for the poem.

3. Poem from a Website

For poems found online, include the website name, publication year if available, and a direct URL. Follow your instructor’s preference on access dates.

How to Cite a Poem in APA

APA style is common in the social sciences and some other academic disciplines. When citing a poem in APA, focus on the poet, year, line or page information when available, and the reference-list entry for the source where you found the poem.

APA In-Text Citations for Poetry

In APA in-text citations, include the poet’s last name and year. Add line numbers when the source provides them and they help the reader locate the quoted passage; otherwise use the location information your source actually gives.

The most common APA in-text patterns look like this:

APA References Citations for Poetry

APA reference entries vary by source type. A poem in a single-author collection, an edited anthology, and a website each needs a slightly different format, so identify the container before you write the reference.

1. Poem from a Book

If the poem appears in a book by the same poet, list the poet as the author and identify the book that contains the poem.

2. Poem from an Anthology

When the poem appears in an edited anthology, include the editor’s name and the page range where the poem appears.

3. Poem from a Website

If you found the poem online, use a credible source and include the poet, date if available, poem title, website name, and URL. If no date is listed, use “n.d.” where APA requires the year.

How to Cite a Poem in Chicago

Chicago style is common in history, literature, and the arts. It has two systems: Notes and Bibliography, which uses footnotes or endnotes, and Author-Date, which uses parenthetical citations and a reference list.

Chicago Footnotes Citations for Poetry

In the Notes and Bibliography system, a superscript note number in the text points to a footnote or endnote with source information.

The first Chicago note usually gives fuller source details. Later notes for the same poem can be shortened, as long as readers can still identify the source.

Here is what a Chicago-style footnote pattern can look like:

If the source provides line numbers, include them when they help readers locate the quoted passage. For longer poetry excerpts, set the quotation apart according to Chicago block-quote guidance.

Short Quotes Example:

Blake opens with direct address when he writes, “O Rose, thou art sick! / The invisible worm”.¹

Long Quotes Example:

O Rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm,
That flies in the night
In the howling storm.¹

Each quoted excerpt should connect to a note that shows where the poem came from. Here is a possible footnote pattern:

Footnote Example:

¹ William Blake, “The Sick Rose,” in Songs of Innocence and of Experience (London, 1794).

2. Author-Date System (Sciences)

The Author-Date system is more common in fields that prefer brief in-text citations. It uses the author’s last name, year, and a page or line reference when needed, followed by a reference list entry.

In-Text Citation:

For a poem, include the poet’s last name and year in parentheses. If you quote a specific page or line, add that location so readers can find the passage.

✅ Format: (Author's Last Name Year of Publication, page number)

✅ Example of Short Quote (Less than 100 words): 

Frost conveys the essence of life’s choices in The Road Not Taken: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by” (Frost 1979, 127).

Reference List: Frost, Robert. 1979. "The Road Not Taken." In The Poetry of Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Lathem, 125-128. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

✅ Example of Long Quote (More than 100 words):

Frost reflects on choices in life in The Road Not Taken:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same... (Frost 1979, 127)

Reference List: Frost, Robert. 1979. "The Road Not Taken." In The Poetry of Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Lathem, 125-128. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Chicago Works Cited Entry for Poetry

A Chicago bibliography gives full details for each source. The format depends on whether the poem appears in a book, anthology, or website.

1. Poem from a Book

2. Poem from an Anthology

3. Poem from a Website

How to Cite a Poem in Turabian Style

Turabian style is a student-focused version of Chicago style used in many college courses, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Your instructor may ask for notes-bibliography or author-date format, so check the assignment prompt before formatting the citation.

Turabian In-Text Citations for Poetry

When quoting poetry in Turabian style, give enough information for readers to find the passage: the poet’s name, poem title when needed, and line or page numbers when the source provides them.

If line numbers are unavailable, cite the page number or another available locator your instructor accepts.

Turabian Works Cited Entry for Poetry

A Turabian bibliography entry varies depending on whether the poem comes from a single-author book, an edited anthology, or an online source. Use the format that matches the version you actually consulted.

1. Poem from a Book

When a poem is included in a single-author collection, identify the poet, poem title, book title, publication place, publisher, and year.

2. Poem from an Anthology

If the poem is part of an anthology edited by someone else, include the editor and the poem’s page range so readers can find the exact selection.

3. Poem from a Website

For an online poem, include the website name, modification or publication date if available, full URL, and access date when your instructor or style requirement asks for it.

FAQ

1. How Do You Properly Cite a Poem?

To cite a poem properly, follow the required style guide and identify the poet, poem title, source container, publication details, and line or page numbers when relevant. Then format short and long quotations according to that style.

2. How Do I Reference a Poem in APA?

In APA style, a poem citation usually includes the poet’s last name and year, plus a line or page reference when available and useful. The reference entry should identify the poem and the book, anthology, or website where you found it.

3. Why Citing Poems Correctly Matters?

Proper citations avoid plagiarism, give credit to the poet, and help readers find the original work. Incorrect citations can lead to lost marks or academic penalties.

4. What Are the Tips for Citing Poems?

• Follow the required style guide: MLA, APA, Chicago, or Turabian.

• Format short quotes and block quotes according to the style.

• Use line numbers only when the source provides them.

• Check online citation tools against the actual source details.

• Ask your professor which style or edition to follow if the prompt is unclear.

5. How Do I Cite a Nested Quote from a Poem?

To cite a nested quote from a poem, use the appropriate quotation marks for your English style.

• In American English (AmE): Use double quotation marks for the outer quotation and single quotation marks for the quotation inside it.
  Example: "The poet writes, 'Hope is the thing with feathers,'" (Dickinson, 2009, p. 45).

• In British English (BrE): Use single quotation marks for the outer quotation and double quotation marks for the quotation inside it.
  Example: ‘The poet writes, “Hope is the thing with feathers,”’ (Dickinson, 2009, p. 45).

Conclusion

Citing a poem is easier when you separate the task into two parts: how the quoted lines appear in your sentence or block quote, and how the source appears in the citation or bibliography.

Before submitting, confirm the required style, check whether the poem has line numbers, and match your citation to the exact source you used: book, anthology, or website. That habit will help you cite poetry clearly and avoid plagiarism.