When citing poetry using MLA formatting it is important to follow the rules outlined by the Modern Language Association. There are specific ways to format a citation based upon what you are citing, and this page explains a few of the most common ways to format full-text citations following MLA formatting.

Keep in mind the purpose of citation is to give credit to the author who wrote the words, and guide your reader to the exact place to find where that text originated.

If you are looking for specific information about citation, how to avoid plagiarism, creating a works cited page, or citing specific works, click the links above under "Citation."

If you were to cite something from Ray Bradbury's novel, Fahrenheit 451, your full citation would look like...

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451, 60th Anniversary Edition. New York, NY. Simon and Schuster, 2013.

The formula for this citation is...

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book, Edition. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.

This is the most basic form of the book citation. But books come in many different sizes and types such as anthologies, text books, and collections. It can get very confusing very quickly, but the formula below is what you need to cite just about any book. If you don't specific information or it does not apply to your cited source, skip it.

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book, Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (volume or collection number), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages).

Note! If you are citing something from an anthology, textbook, or other book type the requirements can change. Check the Purdue Owl is get your book citation answers! Click the link to go to a page that will explain how to cite just about any book imaginable following MLA format.