Whenever you use someone else's ideas in your own work, whether it be a direct quote or paraphrase, you must cite that source in your text.
The purpose of the in-text citation is to direct the reader to the appropriate Works Cited entry. Therefore, your in-text citation should begin with whichever piece of information comes first in the the Works Cited entry. This may be the author's last name or the title of the source.
In-text citations can be written within your sentence or be added in a parenthesis at the end of the sentence.
Examples:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
There are many ways to cite an author or authors within your text. For more information on in-text citations, see pages 227-252 of the MLA Handbook. For guidance on quoting and paraphrasing sources, see pages 252-285.