How to Embed Quotes:

1. How to Embed Quotes: I found these passages, now how do I put them into my paper?

2. Using a colon – a dot over a dot “:” • Set up the quote and then present it as proof of what you have just said. • That is, say something about the quote and then present it like it’s a video or an object you’re putting on display. • It’s a grammatical way of saying, “Here, see for yourself.”

3. Colon example • The crew feasted on Helios’ cattle with relish: “and when the bones were burnt and tripes shared, they spitted the carved meat” (Homer XII.929-930). • Note that the phrase before the quote could stand on its own as a sentence. • We’ll discuss the punctuation in a minute.

4. Using NO punctuation • You can mold the author’s words in as if they are your own. • In this case, you’ll probably be summarizing or paraphrasing the story and at some point decide that the writer’s words are better than yours.

5. Example of Using NO punctuation before the quote: • After Odysseus’ men were killed, he was left alone on the sea and began floating “north again, / straight for Charybdis” (Homer XII. 546-7). • Note that if I took away the quotation marks, the sentence would flow just like I had written it. That’s when you know you don’t need punctuation. • Your quotes can be little like this too, as long as they have the information you need.

6. Using commas with quotes • You can introduce the quote with an introductory phrase that leads into the author’s phrasing. • This phrase cannot stand on its own as a sentence. • It will feel like you are writing a piece of dialog for a story.

7. Using commas cont’d • You will use a comma after your introductory phrase or at the end of the quotation if it leads into another phrase within the sentence.

8. Examples of commas • Before the quote: • When Odysseus killed Antinous, the suitors cried out, “Foul! to shoot at a man! That was your last shot!” (Homer XXII. 28). • At the end of the quote: • “Let me bring you a shield and spear,” offers Telemachos to his battling father (Homer XXII. 107).

9. How do you punctuate this? • Reference lines in parentheses, but do not write down “p.” or any other abbreviation. For epic poems, cite author and book and line number (Homer XXII. 113). For books, cite author and page number (Salinger 116) for Shakespearean plays, cite Act, scene, line number (III.iii.123). • Periods: Periods go OUTSIDE the quotation marks, “after the line reference” (32).

10. Advanced: Style • To add style to your paper, try adding a variety of ways to embed quotes. • Try not to rely solely on one way of using quotes (for example, don’t always use colons, or commas, or no punctuation methods)

11. Advanced: Length of quotes • Refrain from using long quotes (over 3 lines in length) unless absolutely essential. • Try to be economical with what you quote. If you use the “no punctuation” method, you will probably be able to detect the essence of the quote easily.

12. Practice – embed these • Book XXII line 1468 • “With anger in his heart, Odysseus declares to the suitors There will be killing till the score is paid.” • Book XXII lines 1485-1486 • “Once rallied, the suitors refused to die without a fight Then crying hoarse and loud he hurled himself at Odysseus.”

13. Practice – embed these • Book XXII lines 1445-1446 • “The suitors then realized Odysseus had returned and sickly green fear pulled at their entrails.” • Book XXII lines 1393-1394 • “Odysseus, the parent who had never been there, finally came through for his son Telemachus, the stranger you welcomed in your hall has not disgraced you.”