Question for English majors/wizards...

[Sumatran]

In a paper do common quotes have to be notated?

For example, "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and "true love conquers all". Do they need to have credit given or are they common enough to be used freely?

[belfpala]

In a paper do common quotes have to be notated?

For example, "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and "true love conquers all". Do they need to have credit given or are they common enough to be used freely?

Look at whatever style guide you're supposed to be using. APA, for example, says you don't need to give a citation for commonly known proverbs or quotations.

[mistuhbull]

You don't need to cite platitudes, and really shouldn't since it would appear (at lest to me) that you are just padding your sources because you don't actually have any

[Sumatran]

You don't need to cite platitudes, and really shouldn't since it would appear (at lest to me) that you are just padding your sources because you don't actually have any

The paper is a decronstruction of one poem, so there arent any sources aside from the poem itself.

Thanks for the reply tho champ, really helped.

[Markluzz]

Really depends, are you just referencing the quote in the way you are writing it as commonly known, or are you using the quote from a specific source and utilizing that source?

[Lysah]

Really depends, are you just referencing the quote in the way you are writing it as commonly known, or are you using the quote from a specific source and utilizing that source?

Pretty much this. If you're using a cliche, please don't. If you're quoting something, you use quotation marks. If you're quoting these phrases directly from a poem, I don't see the problem in saying something like 'As seen in line X, "quotation..."'

[Deleted]

The paper is a decronstruction of one poem, so there arent any sources aside from the poem itself.

Thanks for the reply tho champ, really helped.

An entire paper.....on one poem?

If you're not doing Chaucer, Faerie Queen or Beowulf than something is wrong.

But don't use platitudes, ever. They're meaningless filler. Quote from relevant sources on the topic. For example you'd choose a phrase from Marcuse for anything related to modern Marxism etc etc.

[Beavis]

I think a bigger concern should be what kind of juice you're going to get from using a platitude in a manner in which would require it to be sourced.

[Skelington]

An entire paper.....on one poem?

It's not hard at all if you pick a good poem. Really, you can do it on one that is sub-par. Part of analysis is making meaning, and sometimes you have to pull that meaning out of seemingly nothing, which is often just face value.

[Deleted]

It's not hard at all if you pick a good poem. Really, you can do it on one that is sub-par. Part of analysis is making meaning, and sometimes you have to pull that meaning out of seemingly nothing, which is often just face value.

That's the complete opposite of university marking schemes.

If you did that I'd fail your paper.

[Skelington]

That's the complete opposite of university marking schemes.

If you did that I'd fail your paper.

There's a difference between what you don't automatically see and absolute shit.

[Deleted]

There's a difference between what you don't automatically see and absolute shit.

You said the exact words "making meaning" and said you sometimes had to do that out of "nothing". Interpretation does not constitute making meaning out of nothing.

[Skelington]

You said the exact words "making meaning" and said you sometimes had to do that out of "nothing". Interpretation does not constitute making meaning out of nothing.

"Seemingly nothing." Misquote. F for the day. See Skelington after class.
Everything has something. It might not be a reputable something, but it's still a something. Nothing doesn't usually exist, because, quite frankly, if it did exist then it would be something. Broaden your horizon if you're given something specific.

[Reg]

I am curious as to which poem your paper is on.

EDIT: Yay for ending a sentence in a preposition in a thread asking about advice in English lol

[Deleted]

"Seemingly nothing." Misquote. F for the day. See Skelington after class.
Everything has something. It might not be a reputable something, but it's still a something. Nothing doesn't usually exist, because, quite frankly, if it did exist then it would be something. Broaden your horizon if you're given something specific.

Broaden my horizon? I teach people how to analytically read texts. Making meaning is what gets you a low grade. People who mark papers know the topic intimately. We've read it a thousand times, we've seen thousands of papers on it. If you make up some cock a bull meaning then we're going to hammer you for it.

Don't give people bad advice. Telling a student that's clearly having some sort of trouble to "making meaning" is inviting trouble.

---------- Post added 2012-05-09 at 03:35 AM ----------

The paper is a decronstruction of one poem, so there arent any sources aside from the poem itself.

Thanks for the reply tho champ, really helped.

What's the poem? I might be able to give you some material on it. Material besides sparknotes.

Students are amazed when they're told that teachers know about sparknotes/wikipedia etc :P

[Skelington]

Broaden my horizon? I teach people how to analytically read texts. Making meaning is what gets you a low grade. People who mark papers know the topic intimately. We've read it a thousand times, we've seen thousands of papers on it. If you make up some cock a bull meaning then we're going to hammer you for it.

Don't give people bad advice. Telling a student that's clearly having some sort of trouble to "making meaning" is inviting trouble.

When did Skelington say to uphold the inane? It should be fairly obvious that some things are absolute bullshit that won't work.

[Sumatran]

Update

I found my answer by scouring purdue owl.

"When a Citation Is Not Needed

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations or common knowledge. Remember, this is a rhetorical choice, based on audience. If you're writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, they'll have different expectations of what constitutes common knowledge."

The poem is Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti and Salome by Oscar Wilde. It is a compare and contrast paper, and I chose to focus on power, corruption and love. The line I wanted to use was this

"It has been said that "absolute power corrupts absolutely", and Wilde conforms to that idea, but if Rossetti is to be believed then "true love conquers all."

The way my professor grades is you can pull ANYTHING out of your ass and if you can back it up with logic and quotes from the reading and it makes sense then its a go. This isnt highschool english where its the professors way or the highway.

BTW my professor focuses on Feminism in 19th century british literature, so I should be golden on this paper. Thanks for the responses.