How to embed quotes from poems

How to embed quotes from poems

Grade 9 English

​Embedding quotes

When explaining how to take quotes from a poem and include them in your essays, I am going to refer to Simon Armitage's untitled poem known as 'Mother, any distance'.

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​As you complete this lesson, have your personal copies of Simon Armitage's poems in front of you.

​Different options

There are different ways to include quotes in an essay.

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​If you are including a short quote, you can embed it into your own sentence.

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​If you are using a long quote, you will need to start on a new line and embed the longer section.

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​We will look at both options in this lesson.

​Embedding short quotes into your sentence

A quote has been embedded into a sentence successfully if the quote does not interrupt the flow of the sentence. Quotes should not feature as stand-alone sentences in your essay.

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​To embed quotes you must either:

A) arrange the sentence in a way so that the quote makes complete sense within that sentence.

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​B) introduce the quote so that the transition from your own writing to the quote is logical.

Option A) arrange the sentence so that the quote functions as a part of the sentence (and would not make sense without it).

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Armitage uses metaphor to liken the connection of a mother and son to a 'spool of tape' (line 5) that is rapidly 'unreeling' (line 7) as the son establishes independence. This choice of metaphor enhances the poet's exploration of...

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​Notice that the short quotes function as a part of my own sentence. 

Option B) introduce the quote so that the transition from your own writing to the quote flows logically.

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​Armitage uses direct address in the first stanza of the poem. This is evident when he writes, 'Mother, any distance greater than a single span' (line 1) and then later, 'You come to help me measure windows, pelmets, doors' (line 3). This use of direct address positions readers to…

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​Notice that I have transitioned from my own sentence to the quote by briefly introducing it.

Multiple Choice

Quotes should not be included...

• in essays about poetry.

• as stand-alone sentences in your essay.

• if they are too long (more than two lines).

• if they use personal pronouns like 'I' or 'you'.

Multiple Choice

The most obvious way that you can tell that a quote has been embedded properly is if it...

• has quotation marks on either side.

• has been clearly introduced in the sentence.

• does not interrupt the flow of your writing.

• clearly states the line number.

Open Ended

Think about a poem that you are working on at the moment. Choose a short quote from the poem that is worthy of analysis and embed it in an analytical sentence (or two) of your own. You can either A) incorporate it into your own sentence or B) briefly introduce the quote.

​Including longer quotes

​At times you may need to use a longer quote in order to appropriately explore a particular technique.

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​If the quote you intend to use is roughly the length of two lines of your essay (to be clear - not two lines of the poem, but two lines of your actual paragraph) or more, it is appropriate to indent the quote rather than embed it.

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​You would still need to refer back to the longer quote that you have included, and it is likely that you will embed smaller sections of this quote in your explanation.

​An example of a longer quote in an essay

​Armitage uses enjambment to increase the pace of the poem and, in this way, emphasises the excitement and uncertainty of a young adult's growing independence. This is evident in the final stanza:

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By running phrases over consecutive lines, Armitage explores the feeling of possibility that comes with climbing a ladder to new heights, as well as the risk of something giving way. This rapid pace is stopped short with the use of caesura after 'something / has to give;' (lines 10-11). In this way, Armitage prompts readers to…

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​'I space-walk through the empty bedrooms, climb

  the ladder to the loft, to breaking point, where something

  has to give;' (lines 9-11)

Open Ended

Most of the time you will include short quotes in your essay. That said, some poetic techniques are easier to write about when you include a longer quote in your essay. Enjambment is a great example of a poetic technique that requires longer quotes. Choose ONE other poetic technique that you think might require a longer quote and explain why.

​Using a forward slash

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If you include a quote that runs over two lines, be sure to include a forward slash to indicate where the line break is.

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​In the final lines of the poem, the speaker advances towards 'an endless sky / to fall or fly' (lines 14-15). Although the outcome of the situation is uncertain, Armitage uses rhyme to suggest that…

​Using square brackets

​At times, you may need to change a quote slightly. You would usually only do this to ensure that the grammar of the sentence that you have written is correct.

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​For example, you may need to remove a capital letter or change the verb tense.

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​When doing so, use square brackets to show that a change has been made. Never make a change that would affect the meaning of the quote.

​An example of how to use square brackets

Armitage explores a parent's reluctance to let go of a child even as that child reaches adulthood by using metaphor. Armitage likens the mother to an '[a]nchor' (line 8) which is an object that is used to…

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​Notice that I simply changed a capital letter to a lowercase letter. The meaning of the word has not changed.

Multiple Choice

You should use a forward slash to indicate that...

• there is a line break in the line of poetry that you are quoting.

• there is an instance of caesura in this line.

• you have removed a word from the quote.

• you have changed the verb tense or replaced a capital letter with a lowercase letter.

Multiple Choice

You should use square brackets when you...

• want to show that there is a line break in this particular quote.

• want to show that there is an instance of caesura in this quote.

• include the line that the quote is from. 

• make a small change in a quote (such as change the verb tense or replace a capital letter with a lowercase letter).

​That is the end of the lesson.

Do you have any questions about including quotes in your essay?