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To cite a line from a poem in MLA style, quote the line, then put the word “line” and the line number in parentheses, for example (line 5). Quote up to three lines inside your sentence with a slash between lines; set four or more lines apart as a block. Poems are located by line, not by page, which is the one thing that separates this citation from an ordinary quotation. This guide shows each case with examples, a comparison table, and the errors that most often appear in theses and manuscripts.
The format
An MLA citation of verse has three parts: the quoted words, the line break marks inside them, and a parenthetical that points to the line number. Purdue OWL’s MLA in-text guide says that when a source uses a numbering system other than page numbers, the citation begins with that label, so for a poem the parenthetical starts with “line” and then the line number or range.
The table below sets the choices side by side. Each MLA row comes from the Purdue OWL pages named in Sources; the APA row comes from APA’s in-text citation checklist.
| Case | How to quote it | How to cite it |
|---|---|---|
| MLA, 1 to 3 lines | Run into your sentence, in quotation marks, with a slash with a space on each side at each line break | Line numbers in parentheses, with the label “line” or “lines” as in (lines 5-6) |
| MLA, 4 or more lines | Free-standing block, no quotation marks, indented half an inch, original line breaks kept | Parenthetical after the final punctuation mark of the last line |
| APA 7th, direct quotation | Quotation marks for short quotes (under 40 words); block format for 40 or more words | (Author, year, p. 20): author, year and page number (or alternative) |
Examples
One to three lines: the slash
Purdue OWL’s quotation page shows the pattern with a short stretch of verse. Spaces go on both sides of the slash, and a stanza break is marked with a double slash ( // ).
Cullen concludes, “Of all the things that happened there / That’s all I remember” (11-12).
Purdue’s in-text guide uses a line from William Blake’s “The Tyger” to show the label form, where the parenthetical reads (lines 5-6):
Blake asks, “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes,” (lines 5-6).
Four or more lines: the block
The next example uses an invented poem and an invented poet, written for this guide; it is not a real quotation. It shows the block layout MLA calls for: no quotation marks, a half-inch indent on each line, the original line breaks, and the citation after the closing punctuation.
Example text: in the invented poem “Harbour Lamps” by the fictional poet R. Example, the speaker ends on a still image:
The harbour keeps its lamps unlit
and the tide forgets our names;
the ferry hums a patient hymn
to no one in the rain. (lines 1-4)
When the poet’s name is already in your sentence
If your sentence names the poet, the parenthetical needs only the line numbers, as in the Cullen example, “Cullen concludes … (11-12)”. If it does not, the name goes in the parenthetical with the numbers: Memorial University Libraries’ MLA 9th edition handout for poetry (September 2021) shows (Heaney 19-21) for a quotation where Heaney is not named in the sentence.
In-text citation version
MLA
The Purdue OWL pages agree on the in-text form: a label for the numbering system, line numbers rather than page numbers, and the parenthetical placed after the quotation. See the guide to in-text citations in MLA 9 for author, page and no-author cases that are not about verse, MLA block quote format for the general block rules, and how to cite from a book when the poem sits inside a printed collection.
APA
APA 7th edition’s in-text citation checklist (apastyle.apa.org) asks for the author, the year and, for a direct quotation, the page number or an alternative, as in (Author, year, p. 20). The checklist does not give a separate rule for verse, so follow it for the basic pattern and check your instructor’s or journal’s guidance for anything further. APA’s student paper setup guide states that instructors’ guidelines supersede APA. The wider comparison of styles is in citation styles and referencing formats, and the general mechanics of quoting are in quoting and citing sources correctly.
Common errors
- Quotation marks around a block. Four or more lines of verse are set off without quotation marks; the indent does that job.
- Dropping or crowding the slash. Each line break inside a run-in quotation is marked by a slash with a space before and after it. A stanza break is a double slash.
- Using a page number where the poem is cited by line. In MLA the parenthetical carries line numbers, with the label “line” or “lines”, not a page abbreviation.
- Changing the line breaks. A block quotation maintains the original line breaks, so do not reflow verse into a paragraph.
- Putting the citation before the final punctuation of a block. For a block, the parenthetical follows the punctuation at the end of the last line.
For manuscripts and theses
Verse inside a long document is easiest to get right if you apply the length rule consistently: Purdue’s rule is three lines or fewer run in with slashes, four or more as a block. A block is double-spaced, which keeps block verse in line with the rest of a thesis. When a poem has no line numbers in your edition, ask your supervisor or the journal’s style sheet which locator to use.
Style-guide edition
The MLA rules above follow the 9th edition (2021), as presented on the Purdue OWL pages and the Memorial University handout named in Sources. The APA point follows the 7th edition (2020). Chicago style, now in its 18th edition (2024), is not covered on this page.
FAQ
How do you cite a line from a poem?
In MLA, quote the line and add a parenthetical with the word “line” and the line number, such as (line 5). The variant “how to cite lines from a poem” works the same way, with “lines” and a range such as (lines 5-6).
Do I use quotation marks for a quoted poem?
Yes for one to three lines, with a slash with a space on each side marking each line break. No for four or more lines, which are set as a half-inch indented block with the original line breaks.
Where does the citation go after a block quotation of a poem?
After the final punctuation mark of the last line, in parentheses, as in the Harbour Lamps example above.
How do I mark a stanza break in a run-in quotation?
With a double slash ( // ), according to Purdue OWL’s MLA quotations page.
Sources
- Purdue Online Writing Lab, MLA in-text citations: the basics, checked 2026-10-29.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab, MLA formatting quotations, checked 2026-10-29.
- Memorial University Libraries, MLA Style 9th ed. for Poetry, Songs and Plays (September 2021), checked 2026-10-29.
- American Psychological Association, In-Text Citation Checklist, 7th edition, checked 2026-10-29, and Student Paper Setup Guide, checked 2026-10-28.
