" If you were discussing Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise" alongside her collection "And Still I Rise," you would use quotes for the poem and italics for the book title. If the poem is exceptionally long, such as an epic like "Paradise Lost" or "The Song of Hiawatha," it is treated as a standalone book-like work and should be italicized.
See How to Format a Poem Title with Examples
Similarly, the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, favored by journalists, recommends using quotation marks for poem titles. This method clarifies the relationship between the part and the whole, guiding the reader seamlessly through your argument without confusion about what is being referenced.
Furthermore, in digital environments where quotation marks can appear cluttered or interfere with readability, some designers and bloggers opt for italics to create cleaner visual presentation. While the Chicago Manual of Style aligns with this logic for most cases, it allows for flexibility regarding the consistency of styling within a single work.
See How to Format a Poem Title with Example
Poetry in Different Style Guides The specific application of these rules, however, varies depending on the style guide followed by the writer. Whether you are citing a single haiku or an entire collection, establishing a uniform standard ensures that your work looks polished and professionally edited.
More About Should a poem title be italicized or in quotes
Looking at Should a poem title be italicized or in quotes from another angle can help expand the discussion and give readers a second clear paragraph under the same section.
More perspective on Should a poem title be italicized or in quotes can make the topic easier to follow by connecting earlier points with a few simple takeaways.
