How to Make a Works Cited Page for a Poem

Use MLA style to format a works cited page.

A works cited page is the reference page of an essay or body of written work where all referenced text is cited. The most commonly accepted format for a works cited page in the arts, including poetry, is the Modern Language Association (MLA) style.

Things You'll Need

• Bibliographical information

Instructions

1. Write the author of the poem, with the last name followed by the first, and end with a period. For example: Whitman, Walt.

2. Place the title of the poem in double quotation marks, with a period at the end within the quotation marks. For example: “City of Ships.”

3. Type and underline the title of the book, followed by a period. For example: Leaves of Grass and Other Writings.

4. Enter the name of the editor, if one exists, first name followed by last, finished with a period. If not applicable, skip to Step 5. For example: Ed. Michael Moon.

5. Write the name of the city of publication, ended with a colon. For example: New York:

6. Type the name of the publisher, followed by a comma. For example: Norton,

7. Enter the most recent year of publication/copyright, finished with a period. For example: 2002.

8. Type the page number(s), shortening the ending page number if within the same numerical set, followed by a period. For example: 246-47.

Tips & Warnings

• An alternative to underlining the title of the book or anthology is italics.

• Some versions of MLA require the medium of publication at the end of the citation. For example: Print.

References

• Modern Language Association