Citing Beowulf presents a peculiar knot for students to untangle. You’re dealing with an ancient epic poem, which means the rules are a bit different from your average novel. The original author is unknown, and the version you’re reading is almost certainly a translation. This guide will show you how to cite Beowulf accurately for your paper, focusing on MLA format but touching on other citation styles too.
TL;DR: For your Works Cited page, start the citation with the translator’s name (like Seamus Heaney). If none is listed, use the title Beowulf. For your in-text citation, use the translator’s last name and the line number(s), not the page number, whenever possible. For example: (Heaney lines 5-10).
The Works Cited Entry
Your first task is to create a solid Works Cited entry. Since the original poet is anonymous, the person you are really citing is the translator who shaped the word choices in your specific edition. Think of the translator, like the celebrated Seamus Heaney, as the author of the version you hold in your hands. It has a specific texture and sound because of his work.
Here’s an example of how to cite Beowulf when it’s a standalone book, such as the popular Seamus Heaney version:
Heaney, Seamus, translator. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.
If no translator is listed, the title becomes the first element of the citation. The entry would start with Beowulf and be alphabetized under “B” on your cited page.
But often, you’ll find Beowulf inside a larger textbook, like the Norton Anthology of English Literature. This is a type of multivolume set, and the format changes slightly. You have to acknowledge the anthology’s editors, too. It’s a bit more complex, a real chimera of citation details, but perfectly manageable when you see it laid out.
Here is an example of an anthology citation:
Beowulf. Translated by Seamus Heaney, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, general editor, Stephen Greenblatt, 10th edition, vol. A, W.W. Norton & Company, 2018, pp. 42-111.
For more general help with book citations, check out this guide on how to cite books.
In-Text Citations: Line Numbers vs. Page Numbers
This is where most students get tripped up. Do you use the page number or something else? For epic poems like Beowulf, the academic standard is to cite line numbers, not the page number. This allows anyone to find your exact reference regardless of which edition or publication they are using, as the Beowulf lines are consistently numbered across most scholarly versions. The line number is the universal coordinate for your reader.
Your in-text citation, also called a parenthetical reference, should contain the translator’s last name and the line number(s). If you’re quoting several lines, use a hyphen. I remember being so confused about this because my friend’s copy had line numbers and mine didn’t. We had to double-check we were talking about the same part of the story!
- Correct MLA example: Grendel’s approach is described with a sense of dread, as he “came gliding through the shadows” (Heaney line 703).
- If no translator is listed: The poet notes that “Behavior that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere” (Beowulf lines 24-25).
If your version tragically lacks line numbers, you have no choice but to use the page number. It’s not ideal, but it’s the only way to ground your references. In that case, your text citation would look like this: (Heaney 35).
Mastering these small details is what separates a good paper from a great one. For a deeper look into the world of citation, this guide on Mastering Citations can be very helpful.
Handling Different Citation Styles
While MLA style is common for literature courses, you might be asked to use other citation styles. The core information remains the same, but its arrangement changes. It’s like wearing the same clothes but for different occasions. Here’s a quick comparison for the Seamus Heaney translation.
| Style | Works Cited / References Example | In Text Citation Example |
|---|---|---|
| MLA 9 | Heaney, Seamus, translator. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. W.W. Norton & Company, 2000. | (Heaney lines 703-705) |
| APA 7 | Heaney, S. (Trans.). (2000). Beowulf: A new verse translation. W.W. Norton & Company. | (Heaney, 2000, lines 703-705) |
| Chicago 17 | Heaney, Seamus, trans. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000. | (Heaney 2000, 703-5) |
Notice how APA and Chicago include the publication year in the text citation. Keeping these small differences straight is key. If you need to switch between citation styles quickly, a citation generator can be a lifesaver.
Citing a PDF of Beowulf
Sometimes you might use an online PDF of the text, like this version of Beowulf. When you cite a source like this, you must treat it as an online document. You still follow the core principles: identify the translator if possible and look for line numbers. But your works cited citation needs to include the website title and URL.
Here’s an example of how to cite that specific PDF in MLA format. The translator for that edition is Francis B. Gummere.
Beowulf. Translated by Francis B. Gummere, Gordon State College, faculty.gordonstate.edu/cperkowski/1501/Beowulf.pdf.
For more specific guidance, you can review this article on how to cite a PDF.
What if there are multiple editors or authors for an anthology?
If the book has two authors (or editors), you list them both in the citation. For three or more authors in MLA, you list the first author’s name followed by “et al.” For example: (Smith et al. 115).
Do I put the title of Beowulf in quotation marks?
No. Because Beowulf is a long, book-length poem, its title should be italicized. You would use quotation marks for shorter works like a short story or a brief poem within a collection.
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Terry is a Chicago-based writer and editor who creates practical, student-friendly guides on essay writing, research, and citation styles (APA, MLA, and Chicago). He’s spent 15+ years editing educational content and building clear examples that help readers apply rules without guessing. When he’s not revising drafts, he’s usually turning messy notes into clean outlines and hunting down the one detail everyone skips.