How Do You Cite A Letter In Mla

Citing a letter in MLA style requires careful attention to detail to ensure accuracy and clarity. Whether the letter is personal, professional, published, or unpublished, following the correct format is crucial for academic integrity and credibility.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.

General Principles of MLA Citation

Before diving into the specifics of citing letters, it's important 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:

• 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• Description: A brief description of the letter (e.g., personal letter, unpublished letter).

Citing Unpublished Letters

Unpublished letters are those that have not been formally published in a book, journal, or online.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The basic format for citing an unpublished letter in MLA is as follows: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. "Title of Letter (if any)." Date of Letter. Location, Collection.

Example:

Austen, Jane. Letter to Cassandra Austen. 27 Dec. 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

1. Letter in an Archive:

   Dickinson, Emily. Letter to Thomas Wentworth Higginson. 15 Apr. 1862. Boston Public Library, Higginson Papers.

2. Letter in a Private Collection:

   Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Letter to Ernest Hemingway. 1 Aug. 1925. Private collection of Michael Reynolds.

3. Letter with No Title:

   Woolf, Virginia. Letter to Vita Sackville-West. 5 Oct. 1926. British Library, Woolf Collection.

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).

Example:

James, Henry. "Letter to William James." 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

1. Letter in a Collection of Letters:

   Plath, Sylvia. "Letter to Aurelia Plath." Letters Home: Correspondence 1950-1963, edited by Aurelia Schober Plath, Harper & Row, 1975, pp. 175-76.

2. Letter in an Anthology:

   Hurston, Zora Neale. "Letter to W.E.B. Du Bois." The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., et al., W. 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.

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).

Example:

Joyce, James. "Letter to Harriet Shaw Weaver." The James Joyce Quarterly, vol. 15, no. 2, Winter 1978, pp. 101-05.

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.

Basic Format

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "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. 1862, . Accessed 15 May 2024.

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. "Subject Line of Email." Email to Recipient First Name Recipient Last Name. 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

1. Personal Email:

   Doe, Jane. "Feedback on Draft." Email to John Smith. 5 Feb. 2024.

2. Professional Email:

   Brown, Alice. "Meeting Agenda." Email to Team Members. 12 Mar. 2024.

In-Text Citation for Email Correspondence

For in-text citations, use the author's last name.

Example:

(Smith)

If you cite multiple emails from the same author, include the date or a shortened version of the subject line for clarity.

(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.

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.

Example:

Austen, Jane. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 27 Dec. 1798. Qtd. in Deirdre Le Faye, Jane Austen: A Family Record, 2nd ed., 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

When you 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: Ensure 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. 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. By providing clear and consistent citations, you allow your readers to trace your sources and further explore the ideas presented in your work. Remember to always double-check your citations and consult the MLA Handbook for the most up-to-date guidelines.