How to Integrate Quotes into Our Writing
Option 1 Ex. Bryant demonstrates his view of nature when he writes, “to him who in the love of nature holds / communion with her visible forms, she speaks / a various language” (191). Speaker + Verb (says, asks, told, writes, etc) + comma + quote The speaker and verb may also come after the quote: “To him who in the love of nature holds / communion with her visible forms, she speaks / a various language,” Bryant writes (191).
Option 2 Introduce quote with a complete sentence + colon (:) (or period). Ex. Longfellow establishes the cycles of nature through his use of repetition: “The tide rises, the tide falls” (196). Note: Both your sentence to introduce the quote AND the quote must be COMPLETE SENTENCES.
Option 3 Roll the quote into your own sentence No additional punctuation needed. Ex. Thoreau believed that the lives of men are “frittered away by detail” (220). The quoted part will NOT be a complete sentence.