Citing poetry vs. prose evidence: Grade 8 ELA comparison

Question

Hey there! 👋 Ever feel a bit confused about how to cite evidence from poems versus stories in your English class? You're not alone! It's a skill that gets easier with practice. Let's break down the key differences. Think of it like this: poems are like little bursts of concentrated awesome, while stories are like longer, winding roads of awesome. Knowing how to pull evidence from each makes your arguments super strong! 💪

friedman.wendy62 · Accepted Answer

📚 Citing Poetry vs. Prose: Grade 8 ELA

When you're writing about literature, you'll often need to support your ideas with evidence from the text. This means quoting parts of the poem or story that prove your point. But citing poetry is a little different than citing prose (regular sentences and paragraphs). Here's a breakdown:

📜 What is Prose?
Prose is ordinary writing – like what you find in novels, short stories, essays, and even this explanation! It follows grammatical rules and natural speech patterns.

🖋️ What is Poetry?
Poetry, on the other hand, is writing that often uses figurative language, rhythm, and sometimes rhyme to create a specific effect. Lines of poetry are called verses, and groups of verses are called stanzas.

📝 Poetry vs. Prose: A Comparison Table

Feature
      Prose
      Poetry

Structure
      Sentences and paragraphs
      Verses (lines) and stanzas

Citation
      Use quotation marks and page numbers (Author, p. #).
      Use quotation marks and line numbers (Author, line #) or (Author, lines #-#). Keep original line breaks with a slash (/).

Emphasis
      Emphasis achieved through word choice and sentence structure.
      Emphasis achieved through line breaks, rhythm, and sound devices.

Example Citation (Prose)
      "The dog barked loudly at the mailman." (Smith, p. 22).
      "I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills." (Wordsworth, lines 1-2).

✨ Key Takeaways for Citing Poetry and Prose

📌 Pay Attention to Line Breaks: When quoting poetry, indicate line breaks with a forward slash (/). Example: "I'm nobody! Who are you? / Are you nobody, too?" (Dickinson, lines 1-2). 
   🔢 Use Line Numbers: Always cite poetry with line numbers instead of page numbers. This helps your reader find the exact lines you're referencing.
   ✍️ Accuracy is Key: Double-check your quotes to ensure they match the original text perfectly, including capitalization and punctuation.
   💡 Integrate Quotes Smoothly: Introduce your quotes and explain their significance to your argument. Don't just drop them in randomly!
  🧐 Use Block Quotes for Longer Passages: If quoting more than three lines of poetry, use a block quote (indent the entire passage).
  📚 Cite the Source Properly: Always include the author's name and the title of the work in your analysis.
  🧠 Practice Makes Perfect: The more you work with poetry and prose, the easier it will become to cite them correctly.

Citing poetry vs. prose evidence: Grade 8 ELA comparison

1 Answers

📚 Citing Poetry vs. Prose: Grade 8 ELA

📜 What is Prose?

🖋️ What is Poetry?

📝 Poetry vs. Prose: A Comparison Table

✨ Key Takeaways for Citing Poetry and Prose

Join the discussion

Feature	Prose	Poetry
Structure	Sentences and paragraphs	Verses (lines) and stanzas
Citation	Use quotation marks and page numbers (Author, p. #).	Use quotation marks and line numbers (Author, line #) or (Author, lines #-#). Keep original line breaks with a slash (/).
Emphasis	Emphasis achieved through word choice and sentence structure.	Emphasis achieved through line breaks, rhythm, and sound devices.
Example Citation (Prose)	"The dog barked loudly at the mailman." (Smith, p. 22).	"I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills." (Wordsworth, lines 1-2).