{"id":6577,"date":"2018-07-30T17:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T00:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=6577"},"modified":"2018-05-23T17:11:28","modified_gmt":"2018-05-24T00:11:28","slug":"how-to-quote-a-poem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-quote-a-poem\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Quote a Poem (The Right Way)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poetry is often one of the more difficult forms of literature that students are asked to write about. It doesn\u2019t have a consistent structure, sometimes doesn\u2019t have a plot or characters, and is rife with symbolism.<\/p>\n

But one of the most frequently asked questions on writing about poetry is how to quote a poem in an analytical essay.<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortunately, I know a thing or two about quotes, and I\u2019m here to help you out with yours. Before we get into how <\/i>to quote a poem, though, let\u2019s talk about why <\/i>and when <\/i>you should do it.<\/p>\n

Why Quote a Poem in the First Place?<\/h2>\n

Quotes, when used correctly, can be an incredibly powerful tool. However, students and writers often fall into one of two traps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. They use quotes indiscriminately without thinking about the most effective way to incorporate them into their writing (we\u2019ll talk about this in the next section).<\/li>\n
  2. They don\u2019t use any quotes at all because they think their writing is good enough to stand on its own.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    But here\u2019s the thing\u2026 you\u2019re not writing poetry. You\u2019re writing about a specific poem<\/i>. And that means you\u2019ll have to reference it.<\/p>\n

    The best literary critics always quote the literature they’re critiquing\u2014it\u2019s part of the job description.<\/p>\n

    But this begs the question: why is it part of the job description? Why do critics (and students) need to quote the poem in the first place? There are two simple answers.<\/p>\n

    The first is to give credit where credit is due.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re writing about the poem, you\u2019re going to be talking about the ideas, symbols, and concepts described in it. These aren’t your ideas\u2014they belong to the author. Quoting gives the author that credit.<\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t worry, though, there\u2019s plenty of space within your essay to share your own original ideas\u2014and you\u2019re strongly encouraged to do this.<\/p>\n

    The second answer is that quoting a poem gives validity to your writing.<\/p>\n

    Think about it. Would you trust a movie review if the reviewer doesn\u2019t give you some details about the movie? Would you trust a food critic who couldn\u2019t tell you the ingredients in a dish? Of course not!<\/p>\n

    You can think about your essay the same way.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n
    \n
    Quoting a poem shows your reader that you understand it enough to pick out the important details.<\/a><\/div>\n

    Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Quoting a poem shows your reader that you understand it enough to pick out the important details. These details are the main ingredients of the poem.<\/p>\n

    Whether you’re comparing and contrasting two poems<\/a> or writing a regular ol’ literary analysis<\/a> on a single poem, you\u2019re picking the details out and talking about how they reflect the tone<\/a>, mood, symbolism<\/a>, or some other element of the poem(s).<\/p>\n

    When to Use Quotations<\/h2>\n

    All the technical details about how to quote a poem properly are relatively easy to learn. The hard part is knowing when <\/i>to quote.<\/p>\n

    As I mentioned before, some writers fall into the trap of quoting without thinking about how a quote is useful in the essay.<\/p>\n

    Unfortunately, there\u2019s no easy answer to this issue. When to use a quote often depends on the length of the poem, the required length of the essay, your individual writing style, your thesis statement<\/a>, and a host of other things.<\/p>\n

    But just because there\u2019s no easy answer doesn\u2019t mean you should give up. Here are the two biggest tips on when to use a quote.<\/p>\n

    Tip #1. Quote only when necessary<\/h3>\n

    Whenever you’re about to use a quote, ask yourself what it adds to your essay. If it serves as supporting evidence<\/a>, that\u2019s great. If it simplifies your writing, that\u2019s good too.<\/p>\n

    Too many people go to great lengths to dance around the symbol or whatever they\u2019re talking about to avoid quoting. That\u2019s making more work for yourself and ultimately makes your essay more confusing to read.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re going to talk about the meaning behind the words, explain what the words are and then <\/i>talk about the meaning.<\/p>\n

    Tip #2. Use quotes as supporting evidence for your arguments\u2014not the arguments themselves<\/h3>\n

    This is true with quoting any form of literature.<\/p>\n

    You\u2019re never going to find your argument in the poem itself. You develop your own argument<\/a> and explain why you think you\u2019re right. That explanation needs specific evidence<\/a>, which may come in the form of a quote.<\/p>\n

    For example, when analyzing “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe<\/a>, your argument may be that the Raven symbolizes the narrator\u2019s near-neurotic mourning over Lenore.<\/p>\n

    You could point to the line \u201cQuoth the Raven, Nevermore\u201d being repeated so often as a sign of the narrator\u2019s neuroticism, sadness, and feeling of loss.<\/p>\n

    Getting the balance right can be tricky.<\/p>\n

    Want more examples? Check out how these students use quotes as support in their essays:<\/p>\n