Citing a literary text

These are recommendations for your bibliography only - the examples are given in the MLA style.

For citations of literary texts in the text of your essay see a handbook such as the MLA style manual (3rd Floor Reference--808.02-MLA). 

Depending on the type of literary work, you should include the following elements.

A book

Literary works are often reprinted. In the MLA style you need to include the original publication date, followed by the publication details of the book you are citing.

1. Author’(s) surname and forename(s) 
2. Title, underlined
3. Year work originally published (if applicable)
4. Place of publication 
5. Name of publisher 
6. Year

Example

Atwood, Margaret. Surfacing. 1972. New York: Fawcett, 1987.

A poem

1. Author’(s) surname and forename(s) 
2. Title of poem, in quotation marks
3. Title of the work in which the poem was published, underlined
4. Editor of the work
5. Place of publication 
6. Name of publisher
7. Year of publication

Example

Orr, James. "Humanity". Amazing Grace: An Anthology of Poems About Slavery, 1660-1810. Ed. James Basker. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.

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