Study SkillsStudy Skills DocumentationDocumentation

Entering Direct QuotationsEntering Direct Quotations

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Quoting PoetryQuoting Poetry

1. Quoting Two Lines:1. Quoting Two Lines:Use a slash to set off the linesUse a slash to set off the lines

In his poem In his poem ““TetuTetuánán,,”” Claude Mckay Claude Mckay says:says: ““To TetuTo Tetuán, that fort of struggle án, that fort of struggle and strifeand strife / / Where chagrined Andalusian Where chagrined Andalusian Moors retired.Moors retired.” (1-2)” (1-2)

** The same thing applies to quoting three The same thing applies to quoting three lines.lines.

2. Quoting Four or More Lines:2. Quoting Four or More Lines:Enter the lines as an insetEnter the lines as an inset

In the second stanza of “The Second Coming” In the second stanza of “The Second Coming” the poet says:the poet says:

Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of When a vast image out of Spiritus MundiSpiritus Mundi(Yeats 9-12) (Yeats 9-12)

The quotation above is not enclosed within The quotation above is not enclosed within quotation marks. quotation marks.

OmissionOmission: Should be indicated : Should be indicated using ellipsisusing ellipsis

(1)(1)Turning and turning in the widening gyre Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

. . . .. . . .The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Are full of passionate intensity. (Yeats 1-4,6-8 )(Yeats 1-4,6-8 )

OmissionOmission

(2)(2)

. . .. . . the centre cannot hold; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity. Are full of passionate intensity.

(Yeats 3-8 )(Yeats 3-8 )

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Quoting Other MaterialQuoting Other Material

1. Short quotations:1. Short quotations:Enclose them within double quotation Enclose them within double quotation

marksmarksElleke Boehmer writes thatElleke Boehmer writes that ““versions of thought, both versions of thought, both sophisticated and crude . . . were sophisticated and crude . . . were used to give colonial masters used to give colonial masters virtually unbounded rights over the virtually unbounded rights over the lands and subjects they claimed.lands and subjects they claimed.” ” ((Colonial and Postcolonial LiteratureColonial and Postcolonial Literature 380)380)

2. Long quotations:2. Long quotations:Enter them as insetsEnter them as insets

In this respect, Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and In this respect, Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helln Tiffin write:Helln Tiffin write:

A characteristic of dominated literatures is an A characteristic of dominated literatures is an unevitable tendency towards subversion, and unevitable tendency towards subversion, and a a study of the subversive strategies study of the subversive strategies employed by employed by post-colonial writers would revealpost-colonial writers would reveal both the configurations of domination andboth the configurations of domination and

the imaginative and creative responses tothe imaginative and creative responses tothis condition.this condition. ( (The Empire Writes Back: The Empire Writes Back:

Theory and Practice in Postcolonial Theory and Practice in Postcolonial LiteraturesLiteratures 33) 33)

Single Quotation Marks Single Quotation Marks ‘ ’‘ ’Yet, use single quotation marks to Yet, use single quotation marks to enclose a citation within a citation.enclose a citation within a citation.

Example:Example:

““A play is not people speaking A play is not people speaking extempore; it is extempore; it is ‘‘the work of the poet.the work of the poet.’’ Art is not nature, and there would be no Art is not nature, and there would be no point to it if it were.point to it if it were.”” (David Daiches, (David Daiches, Critical Approaches to Literature 123Critical Approaches to Literature 123))

Essential Quoting Essential Quoting DevicesDevices

1. Ellipsis: 1. Ellipsis: . . .. . . or or . . . .. . . . ? ?1-1- Three spaced periods Three spaced periods ( . . . )( . . . ) “show an “show an omission in the interior of a sentence of a omission in the interior of a sentence of a direct quotation.” direct quotation.” (Heineman & Willis 110)(Heineman & Willis 110)(example 1)(example 1)

2-2- Four spaced periods Four spaced periods ( . . . . )( . . . . ) indicate the indicate the omission of “the end of a sentence or more omission of “the end of a sentence or more than one sentence.” than one sentence.” (ibid.)(ibid.)(example 2)(example 2)

ExamplesExamples

Example 1:Example 1:

““Poetry is Poetry is . . .. . . an escape from emotion” an escape from emotion” (T. (T. S. Eliot, “Tradition and the Individual Talent”)S. Eliot, “Tradition and the Individual Talent”)

Example 2:Example 2:““My first cousins were my ‘brothers’ in my My first cousins were my ‘brothers’ in my

language language . . . .. . . . In fact, when a man died, he In fact, when a man died, he was taken to his mother’s people to be buried."was taken to his mother’s people to be buried." (Michel Fabre, (Michel Fabre, Conversations with Chinua AchebeConversations with Chinua Achebe))

2.2. Square/Box Brackets: Square/Box Brackets: ]] [[

Brackets tell your reader:Brackets tell your reader: “This “This material is not in the text I am material is not in the text I am quoting, but I have added it or quoting, but I have added it or changed it so that it will make changed it so that it will make sense in this context.” sense in this context.” (Heineman & Willis 91)(Heineman & Willis 91)

These corrections include: These corrections include: - “ “adding explanatory phrases”adding explanatory phrases”- “ “changing pronouns, verb tenses, changing pronouns, verb tenses, and transitional words or phrases”and transitional words or phrases”- “ “correcting errors such as correcting errors such as misspellings”misspellings”

(ibid.)(ibid.)

ExampleExample

““Sometime before he finished it, Faulkner Sometime before he finished it, Faulkner began hoping that Hollywood would buy began hoping that Hollywood would buy PylonPylon.”.”

The quotation above might be edited in the The quotation above might be edited in the following way:following way:

““Faulkner Faulkner ]]hopedhoped[[ that Hollywood would buy that Hollywood would buy PylonPylon.”.”

(ibid)(ibid)

3. 3. ]]SicSic[[

The word The word sicsic indicates that the indicates that the mistake the writer reproduces mistake the writer reproduces appears in the source and that appears in the source and that the writer is aware of it.the writer is aware of it.

EXAMPLEEXAMPLE

The professor stressed that The professor stressed that “if your “if your source makes a mistak source makes a mistak [[sicsic]], you should , you should copy the mistake because direct copy the mistake because direct quotations are copied verbatim.quotations are copied verbatim.””

(www.rscc.cc.tn.)(www.rscc.cc.tn.)