Skip to content

How to Cite a Poem in Turabian (9th edition)

Learn how to cite poems, verse, and poetry from anthologies or collections in Turabian format (9th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

Turabian Bibliography Format

Here is the standard Turabian format for citing a poem in your bibliography:

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." In Title of Anthology, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, xx–xx. Place: Publisher, Year.

Turabian Example for a Poem

A complete Turabian reference for a poem, formatted by the official Turabian CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Whitcombe, Iris. 2012. “Reading Room at Dusk.” In Collected Poems, 1990-2010, edited by Owen Pratt, 112–13. Chicago: Lakeshore Press.

Matching in-text citation: (Whitcombe 2012)

Turabian In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Author Year)

Narrative

Author (Year) writes...

Key Turabian Formatting Rules

  • Put the poem title in quotation marks and italicize the anthology title.
  • Introduce the anthology with "In" and credit the editor with "edited by".
  • Give the page range, then place, publisher, and year.
  • Cite line numbers in the note when quoting.
  • Turabian follows Chicago style for works in an anthology.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your poem.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Turabian (9th edition) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match Turabian requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: turabian.csl

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a poem in Turabian?
To cite a poem in Turabian (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the Turabian format for a poem citation?
The Turabian format for a poem is: Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." In Title of Anthology, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, xx–xx. Place: Publisher, Year.
What does the in-text citation look like for a poem in Turabian?
In Turabian, the in-text citation for the example above is (Author Year)

Generate This Citation Automatically

Skip the manual formatting. Paste a DOI, URL, or ISBN into CitationEasy and get a perfectly formatted Turabian citation in seconds.

Cite in Turabian Now →

Generate this citation

Paste a URL, DOI, ISBN, or the source details and get a finished Turabian citation for a Poem.

Open the Poem Citation Generator →

Bibliography Studio

Saved citations build a full bibliography in the Studio

Open Bibliography Studio

Cite a Poem in Other Styles

Cite Other Sources in Turabian

More Resources