Citing a letter in MLA style requires careful attention to detail to ensure accuracy and clarity. Because of that, whether the letter is personal, professional, published, or unpublished, following the correct format is crucial for academic integrity and credibility. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to cite letters in MLA format, including examples and detailed explanations for various scenarios Not complicated — just consistent..
General Principles of MLA Citation
Before diving into the specifics of citing letters, make sure to understand the general principles of MLA citation. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in the humanities, particularly in language and literature. The key components of MLA citation include:
Not obvious, but once you see it — you'll see it everywhere.
- In-Text Citations: Brief references within the text of your paper that point to the full entry in the Works Cited list.
- Works Cited List: A comprehensive list at the end of your paper that provides full bibliographic information for all sources cited.
- Consistency: Maintaining a consistent format throughout your paper and Works Cited list is essential.
Key Elements for Citing a Letter
When citing a letter in MLA style, you typically need the following information:
- Author: The person who wrote the letter.
- Recipient: The person to whom the letter was written.
- Date: The date the letter was written.
- Location: Where the letter is housed (e.g., a library, archive, or private collection).
- Description: A brief description of the letter (e.g., personal letter, unpublished letter).
Citing Unpublished Letters
Unpublished letters are those that have not been formally published in a book, journal, or online. These letters are often found in archives, special collections, or private holdings. Here's how to cite them in MLA format:
Basic Format
The basic format for citing an unpublished letter in MLA is as follows:
Author Last Name, Author First Name. " Date of Letter. Because of that, "Title of Letter (if any). Location, Collection.
Example:
Austen, Jane. Here's the thing — letter to Cassandra Austen. 27 Dec. So 1798. Jane Austen's House Museum, Chawton.
Components Explained
- Author Last Name, Author First Name: The name of the person who wrote the letter.
- "Title of Letter (if any).": If the letter has a title, include it in quotation marks. If there is no title, this part is omitted.
- Date of Letter: The date the letter was written, formatted as day month year (e.g., 27 Dec. 1798). Abbreviate months with more than four letters.
- Location: The institution or collection where the letter is housed. Be as specific as possible (e.g., "Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin").
- Collection: If the letter is part of a specific collection within the institution, include the collection name.
Example Scenarios
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Letter in an Archive:
Dickinson, Emily. Boston Public Library, Higginson Papers. Still, 1862. Here's the thing — letter to Thomas Wentworth Higginson. 15 Apr. 2 Simple, but easy to overlook..
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Letter to Ernest Hemingway. 1 Aug. Here's the thing — 1925. Practically speaking, private collection of Michael Reynolds. 3.
Woolf, Virginia. Still, 1926. 5 Oct. Letter to Vita Sackville-West. British Library, Woolf Collection And it works..
In-Text Citation for Unpublished Letters
For in-text citations, use the author's last name and the date. If you are referring to multiple letters by the same author, you may need to include additional information to distinguish them.
Example:
(Austen, 27 Dec. 1798)
If you are discussing multiple letters from Jane Austen, you might add a brief description:
(Austen, Letter to Cassandra, 27 Dec. 1798)
Citing Published Letters
Published letters are those that have been included in a book, journal, or online collection. The citation format differs slightly from unpublished letters.
Letter in a Book
When a letter is published in a book, you should cite the book as a whole and then specify the letter within that book.
Basic Format
Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Letter (if any)." Title of Book, edited by Editor First Name Editor Last Name, Publisher, Year, page number(s) And that's really what it comes down to..
Example:
James, Henry. "Letter to William James.On the flip side, " Henry James: A Life in Letters, edited by Philip Horne, Viking, 1999, pp. 205-07.
Components Explained
- Author Last Name, Author First Name: The name of the person who wrote the letter.
- "Title of Letter (if any).": If the letter has a title, include it in quotation marks.
- Title of Book: The title of the book in which the letter is published, italicized.
- edited by Editor First Name Editor Last Name: The name of the editor of the book.
- Publisher: The name of the publisher.
- Year: The year the book was published.
- page number(s): The page numbers on which the letter appears.
Example Scenarios
-
Letter in a Collection of Letters:
Plath, Sylvia. " Letters Home: Correspondence 1950-1963, edited by Aurelia Schober Plath, Harper & Row, 1975, pp. That said, 175-76. Day to day, "Letter to Aurelia Plath. 2 The details matter here..
Hurston, Zora Neale. "Letter to W.Also, e. Consider this: b. Du Bois.On top of that, " The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. That said, , et al. , W. Consider this: w. Norton, 1997, pp. 1150-51.
In-Text Citation for Letters in a Book
For in-text citations, use the author's last name and the page number(s).
Example:
(James, pp. 205-07)
Letter in a Journal
If a letter is published in a journal, the citation format should reflect that And that's really what it comes down to. Still holds up..
Basic Format
Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Letter (if any)." Title of Journal, vol. (volume number), no. (issue number), Date of Publication, page number(s) But it adds up..
Example:
Joyce, James. "Letter to Harriet Shaw Weaver.Practically speaking, 2, Winter 1978, pp. 15, no. " The James Joyce Quarterly, vol. 101-05 Not complicated — just consistent..
Components Explained
- Author Last Name, Author First Name: The name of the person who wrote the letter.
- "Title of Letter (if any).": If the letter has a title, include it in quotation marks.
- Title of Journal: The title of the journal in which the letter is published, italicized.
- vol. (volume number): The volume number of the journal.
- no. (issue number): The issue number of the journal.
- Date of Publication: The date the journal was published (e.g., Winter 1978).
- page number(s): The page numbers on which the letter appears.
In-Text Citation for Letters in a Journal
For in-text citations, use the author's last name and the page number(s).
Example:
(Joyce, pp. 101-05)
Letter on a Website
If a letter is published on a website, the citation format should include the website details And it works..
Basic Format
Author Last Name, Author First Name. That said, "Title of Letter (if any). " Title of Website, Date of Publication, URL. Accessed Date.
Example:
Lincoln, Abraham. "Letter to Horace Greeley." The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, 22 Aug. That said, 1862, . Accessed 15 May 2024 Most people skip this — try not to..
Components Explained
- Author Last Name, Author First Name: The name of the person who wrote the letter.
- "Title of Letter (if any).": If the letter has a title, include it in quotation marks.
- Title of Website: The title of the website on which the letter is published, italicized.
- Date of Publication: The date the letter was published on the website (if available).
- URL: The full URL of the webpage.
- Accessed Date: The date you accessed the website.
In-Text Citation for Letters on a Website
For in-text citations, use the author's last name. If the author is not identified, use the title of the website.
Example:
(Lincoln)
Citing Email Correspondence
Email correspondence is increasingly common in research. Here’s how to cite emails in MLA format.
Basic Format
Author Last Name, Author First Name. " Email to Recipient First Name Recipient Last Name. "Subject Line of Email.Date of Email.
Example:
Smith, John. "Re: Project Update." Email to Jane Doe. 10 Jan. 2024.
Components Explained
- Author Last Name, Author First Name: The name of the person who sent the email.
- "Subject Line of Email.": The subject line of the email in quotation marks.
- Email to Recipient First Name Recipient Last Name: Specify that it is an email and include the recipient's name.
- Date of Email: The date the email was sent.
Example Scenarios
-
Personal Email:
Doe, Jane. "Feedback on Draft.Day to day, " Email to John Smith. 5 Feb. 2024.
Brown, Alice. Because of that, "Meeting Agenda. And " Email to Team Members. 12 Mar. 2024.
In-Text Citation for Email Correspondence
For in-text citations, use the author's last name That's the part that actually makes a difference..
Example:
(Smith)
If you cite multiple emails from the same author, include the date or a shortened version of the subject line for clarity Surprisingly effective..
(Smith, "Project Update")
Special Cases and Considerations
Letters Written by Multiple Authors
If a letter has multiple authors, list all authors in the order they appear on the letter.
Example:
Jefferson, Thomas, and John Adams. Letter to James Madison. 28 Oct. 1813. Library of Congress, Jefferson Papers.
Letters Translated from Another Language
If you are citing a letter that has been translated, include the translator's name after the title of the book.
Example:
Kafka, Franz. "Letter to Oskar Pollak." Letters to Friends, Family, and Editors, translated by Joseph Brodsky, Schocken Books, 1977, pp. 25-27 Most people skip this — try not to..
Indirect Citations
If you are citing a letter that you found cited in another source (an indirect citation), use the phrase "qtd. in" (quoted in) in your Works Cited entry It's one of those things that adds up..
Example:
Austen, Jane. Here's the thing — in Deirdre Le Faye, Jane Austen: A Family Record, 2nd ed. 1798. Also, qtd. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 27 Dec. , Cambridge University Press, 2004, p. 150.
In your in-text citation, refer to the source you actually consulted (Le Faye).
(Le Faye, p. 150)
Citing Parts of a Letter
If you're only refer to a specific part of a letter, be precise in your in-text citation by including the relevant page numbers or specific details.
Example:
In a letter to Higginson, Dickinson describes her poetry as "my letter to the World / That never wrote to Me" (Dickinson, 15 Apr. 1862).
Tips for Accuracy and Clarity
- Double-Check Details: check that all information (names, dates, locations) is accurate.
- Consult Original Sources: Whenever possible, consult the original letter to verify information.
- Use Reliable Sources: When citing letters found online, use reputable websites such as university archives or scholarly databases.
- Be Consistent: Maintain a consistent citation style throughout your paper.
- Use Italics and Quotation Marks Correctly: Pay attention to the correct use of italics and quotation marks for titles and descriptions.
- Provide Sufficient Context: In your in-text citations, provide enough context to help readers easily locate the source in your Works Cited list.
Conclusion
Citing letters in MLA style requires careful attention to detail, but following these guidelines will help you accurately and effectively cite your sources. By providing clear and consistent citations, you allow your readers to trace your sources and further explore the ideas presented in your work. Whether you are working with unpublished letters in archives, published letters in books or journals, or email correspondence, using the correct format is essential for academic integrity and credibility. Remember to always double-check your citations and consult the MLA Handbook for the most up-to-date guidelines Easy to understand, harder to ignore. Simple as that..
Honestly, this part trips people up more than it should.
