Doc Yoder's Notes
Quotations and TitlesQUOTATIONS
*As a side note, in all of the instances above, "my cat Jeoffry" (no commas) is "restrictive," implying that Smart owns more than one cat, but that he is considering only Jeoffry; "Jeoffry" is necessary to restrict his meaning to a particular cat. If Smart owned only one cat -- "my cat, Jeoffry," (note the commas) -- the phrase would be "non-restrictive," naming that cat, but not restricting the meaning (since no restriction is necessary with only one cat).
1. Except in very rare cases, all quotations should be introduced by and attached to sentences of your own. NO FREESTANDING QUOTATIONS. Do not use your quotations to introduce your points. YOU introduce your point, and then use the quotation to SUPPORT the point.
2. Quotations go inside quotation marks, NOT in italics.
THIS:
Christopher Smart writes, "For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry" (1).
NOT THIS:
Christopher Smart writes, For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry (1).
3. Line numbers go in parenthesis AFTER the quotation marks, but BEFORE the final punctuation. The line number is part of YOUR sentence, NOT part of the quotation.
THIS:
Christopher Smart writes, "For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry" (1).
NOT THIS:
Christopher Smart writes, "For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry (1)."
4. Block quotations do NOT require quotation marks unless the quotation marks are part of the quotation. Block quotations do NOT go in italics.
THIS:
Christopher Smart writes,
For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way. (1-3)
After declaring his theme, Smart identifies his cat as a divine "servant" (2).
NOT THIS:
Christopher Smart writes,
"For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way." (1-3)
After declaring his theme, Smart identifies his cat as a divine "servant" (2).
5. When using a complete sentence (independent clause) to introduce a quotation, use a COLON, not a period or a comma.
THIS:
Christopher Smart devotes part of his poem to his cat:
For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way. (1-3)
NOT THIS:
Christopher Smart devotes part of his poem to his cat.
For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way. (1-3)
TITLES
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1. Titles of short poems or short stories go inside quotation marks, NOT underlined or in italics.
THIS:
"The Rural Lass" "The Modern Fine Lady"
NOT THIS:
The Rural Lass The Modern Fine Lady
2. Titles of novels and long poems are underlined or go in italics.
THIS:
The Castle of Otranto Jubilate Agno