How to Cite an Anthology in MLA Style

You can cite an anthology, which is a published collection of literary pieces in a single book, using Modern Language Association format both in-text and on the Works Cited page. You would rarely cite an entire anthology, except in referring to the introduction or a bio, so generally cite a specific literary work within the text.

Works Cited Citation

To cite an entry in an anthology, include the author's name, title of the piece in quotation marks, title of the anthology in italics, editor's name, city of publication, publisher, publication year, page numbers of the entry and medium in the following format:

Wharton, Edith. "The Angel at the Grave." The Norton Anthology of Literature By Women: The Traditions in English. Eds. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: Norton, 2007. 31-43. Print.

If the citation takes up more than one line, indent all lines after the first.

In-Text Citation

For in-text citations, include the author's last name and page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence as follows:

"The House stood a few yards back from the elm-shaded village street," (Wharton 31).

If the author's name is mentioned in the sentence, just include the page number like this:

Wharton uses the tool of personification in her writing, stating that the house possessed Mrs. Anson and was conscious of its victory (35).