How to Cite the Norton Anthology of English Literature 8th Edition

Because the Norton Anthology of English Literature contains a variety of texts, it can be confusing to cite it in your essay. You need to cite not only the anthology itself, but also the specific text from which you are drawing the information. However, both MLA and APA formats have rules for citing anthologies in-text and in your bibliography.

MLA

Step 1

Cite in-text using the author of the text you are using, not the editors of the anthology. In parentheses, type the author's last name followed by the page number from which you drew the information. If you mention the author's last name in the body of your essay, simply put the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

For example:

The Wife of Bath claims to have had five husbands (Chaucer 257).

Chaucer compares the Wife of Bath's husbands to the husbands of the Samaritan woman at the well (257).

Step 2

Cite a text with no known author using the text's title in place of the author's name. Put the titles of shorter works in quotation marks and italicize the titles of longer works.

For example:

"The Dream of the Rood" describes Christ's cross as covered in gold and gems (27).

Some Anglo-Saxon poets described Christ at his crucifixion as a warrior ("The Dream of the Rood" 27).

Step 3

Cite the text in your bibliography by writing the author's last name, followed by the first name and a period. If the author has no last name (for instance, Julian of Norwich), write the author's name as written in the table of contents. If the work is anonymous, do not write a name. Write the title of the text after the author's name, italicizing it if it is a novel-length work and putting it in quotation marks if it is a shorter piece. If there is a cited translator, write "Trans." followed by the translator's name.

For instance:

Beowulf. Trans. Seamus Heaney.

Marlowe, Christopher. "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love."

Step 4

Write the following publication information after the title or translator of the text, italicizing the words "The Norton Anthology of English Literature":

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al.

Step 5

Write "Vol." followed by the volume of the edition from which you drew the text. Type a period after the volume number or letter.

Step 6

Write the following publication information after the volume number:

New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006.

Step 7

Write the page numbers of the text you are citing, followed by a period. Conclude by typing "Print." A finished entry might read as follows:

Chaucer, Geoffrey. "The Wife of Bath's Tale." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. 275-283. Print.

APA

Step 1

Cite in-text using the author of the text you are using, not the editors of the anthology. In parentheses, type the author's last name, a comma, the year "2006," another comma and the page number from which you drew the information. If you mention the author's last name in the body of your essay, put "2006" in parentheses after the author's name and the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example:

The Wife of Bath claims to have had five husbands (Chaucer, 2006, p. 257).

Chaucer (2006) compares the Wife of Bath's husbands to the husbands of the Samaritan woman at the well (p. 257).

Step 2

Cite a text with no known author using the text's title in place of the author's name. Put the titles of shorter works in quotation marks and italicize the titles of longer works. For example:

"The Dream of the Rood" (2006) describes Christ's cross as covered in gold and gems (p. 27).

Some Anglo-Saxon poets described Christ at his crucifixion as a warrior ("The Dream of the Rood," 2006, p. 27).

Step 3

Cite the text in your bibliography by writing the author's last name, followed by the first initial and a period. If the author has no last name (for instance, Julian of Norwich), write the author's name as written in the table of contents. Write (2006) after the author's name. Write the title of the text, capitalizing only the first letter of the title and any proper nouns. If there is no author, write the title followed by (2006). If there is a cited translator, write the translator's first initial and last name in parentheses, followed by "Trans." For example:

Beowulf. (2006). (S. Heaney, Trans.)

Marlowe, C. (2006.) The passionate shepherd to his love.

Step 4

Write the following publication information after the title or translator of the text, italicizing the words "The Norton Anthology of English Literature":

In S. Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams, A. David, B. Lewalski, L. Lipking, G. Logan, . . . J. Simpson (Eds.), The Norton Anthology of English Literature:

Step 5

Write "Vol." Type the number or letter of the volume in which you found the text, followed by a period. Write the title of the volume, capitalizing only the first letter. For example:

Marlowe, C. (2006.) The passionate shepherd to his love. In S. Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams, A. David, B. Lewalski, L. Lipking, G. Logan, . . . J. Simpson (Eds.), The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Vol B. The sixteenth century and early seventeenth century

Step 6

Write "8th ed." and the page number of the text in parentheses. Put a period after the parentheses. For example:

Step 7

Write the following information after the page number:

New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006.

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