How to Indicate Line Breaks When Reprinting a Poem

The lines of many poems have a structured number of syllables.

One of the primary parts of the structure of a poem is the manner in which its lines are divided. The division of lines in a poem helps to create the rhythm and flow of the prose. If you reprint a poem or cite a poem in a report, you will need to indicate the line breaks of the work. You can use two different ways to indicate line breaks in a poem.

Instructions

1. Write each line of poetry on its own line in your text.

2. Add punctuation at the end of each line if punctuation is present in the original poem.

3. Add capital letters at the beginning of lines if present in the original poem.

4. Use forward slashes as an alternative means of indicating line breaks. In this method, you simply insert a forward slash (/) at the end of each line of poetry with a space on either side, but you do not create a new line in your text. For example, "Roses are red, / Violets are blue, / Sugar is sweet, / And so are you."

References

• Shepherd University: Quoting Poetry Within a Paper Using MLA Documentation
• California State University, Northridge: The Difference between Poetry and Prose