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Titles in MLA Format
Underlined
Texts published as entire works
  • A book title---To the Lighthouse
  • A long poem published as a book--- Leaves of Grass
  • A play---Pygmalion
  • A pamphlet--- U. S. Patent Office Handbook
  • A newspaper---New York Times
  • A film--- The Great Dictator
  • A television program---60 Minutes
  • A compact, disc, audio-cassette, record album--- Moondance
  • A ballet ---Swan Lake
  • An opera---Carmen
  • An instrumental composition identified by name---Bolero
  • A painting---The Night Café
  • A sculpture---Venus DeMilo
  • A ship---U.S.S. Constitution
  • An aircraft---X-15
Titles in Quotation Marks
Texts published as part of a larger work
  • A newspaper article---"Senate Election Appears Close"
  • A magazine article---"America's Worst Dressed"
  • An encyclopedia article---"The Civil War"
  • An essay in a book---"Swift and Misogyny"
  • A short story---"Everyday Use"
  • A poem---"Ode to a Nightingale"
  • A chapter in a book---"Dead Peter Has His Gold"
  • An episode of a television program---"The Soup Nazi"
  • A song---"Closer to Fine"
  • A lecture---"Examining the Writer's Workshop"
Titles and Quotations Within Titles
  • An article about a play---"Class Structure in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night"
  • An article about a poem---"Religion and the Albatross in 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' "
  • An article with a quotation in its title---"Chaucer as the Early Champion of 'Negative Capability' "
  • A book about a novel---The Genres of Gulliver's Travels
  • A collection of short stories--- "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and Other Hemingway Classics
Exceptions (underlines, italics, or quotation marks are not needed)
  • Sacred writings---The Bible
  • Laws, acts, and similar political documents---Treaty of Versailles
  • Instrumental musical compositions identified by form, number, and key---Beethoven's Symphony no. 7 in A, op. 92
  • A series---Hallmark Hall of Fame
  • Societies---Audubon Society
  • Buildings or monuments---Smithsonian Institute
  • Conferences, seminars, workshops, and courses---National Conference on ADD
For more information, see the MLA Handbook or visit the University Writing Center in Trailer MOD 608 behind the Communications Building. You can call us at 407-823-2197 or visit our website http://www.uwc.ucf.edu to schedule an appointment.