To include short quotations (four typed lines or fewer for prose or three lines for poetry) in your writing put the quote inside double quotation marks. Make sure to add the author’s name and the page number in parentheses right after the quote. For poetry, use line numbers instead. You also need to include a complete reference on your Works Cited page.
When it comes to punctuation, place periods, commas, and semicolons after the citation. However, if a question mark or exclamation point is part of the quoted text, keep it inside the quotation marks. If it’s part of your own sentence, place it after the citation.
MLA Example:
For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples:
According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.
According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (184).
Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184)?
When using short (fewer than three lines of verse) quotations from poetry, mark breaks in verse with a slash, ( / ), at the end of each line of verse (a space should precede and follow the slash). If a stanza break occurs during the quotation, use a double slash ( // ).
Cullen concludes, "Of all the things that happened there / That's all I remember" (11-12).
Sometimes we need to use a long direct quote. In that case, writers create a "block quote."
A "block quote" is a way of including a long direct quote in your writing. Instead of using quotation marks, you start the quote on a new line and indent it from the left margin. This helps it stand out from the rest of your text.
You usually use a block quote for passages that are longer than 3 lines of text. To create a block quote, follow these steps:
MLA Example:
Here's an example of a block quote in MLA format, including the sentence that comes before it:
In his novel, the author explores the theme of isolation, highlighting how it affects the characters deeply:
The walls of his room were both a sanctuary and a prison,
enclosing him in silence while the world moved on without him.
He often wondered if solitude was his only true companion. (Smith 123)
This quote illustrates the internal struggle the protagonist faces, as he grapples with the comfort of solitude and the pain of being disconnected from the outside world. It emphasizes that isolation can create a false sense of security while simultaneously trapping individuals in their own thoughts.
In this example, the citation "(Smith 123)" indicates the author's last name and the page number from which the quote was taken.
Source: MLA Formatting Quotations. Purdue OWL. owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_quotations.html.
You can cite music in several ways, depending on where you found it. Usually, citations start with the artist's name, but you can also list composers or performers. If you’re including both, put that information after the album title. Remember to put individual song titles in quotation marks and italicize album names. You should also include the name of the recording company and the publication date.
If you can’t find details like the record label or album name, there’s no need to include that information.
MLA Example:
Spotify
Morris, Rae. “Skin.” Cold, Atlantic Records, 2014. Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/0OPES3Tw5r86O6fudK8gxi.
Online Album
Beyoncé. “Pray You Catch Me.” Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/.
CD
Nirvana. "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Nevermind, Geffen, 1991.
Source: “MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources.” Purdue OWL, owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_other_common_sources.html.
When citing long sections of poetry (four lines of verse or more), keep formatting as close to the original as possible. And follow the indentation and citation rules for "block quotes."
In his poem "My Papa's Waltz," Theodore Roethke explores his childhood with his father:
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
We Romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself. (qtd. in Shrodes, Finestone, Shugrue 202)
Source: MLA Formatting Quotations. Purdue OWL. owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_quotations.html.