Italics and Quotation Marks

When to use italic type and quotation marks

In typography, italic type is a cursive typeface based on a stylized form of calligraphic handwriting.

Italicize titles of works that are produced separately from other works, such as books, plays, periodicals, movies, etc.

I have seen Star Wars three times.

I subscribe to the Washington Post.

Have you read The Age of Innocence?

NOTE: Notice in the last example how the question mark is NOT italicized. Do not italicize a punctuation mark unless it is part of the title.

Quotation marks or inverted commas (informally referred to as quotes or speech marks)[1] are punctuation marks at the beginning and end of a quotation, direct speech, literal title, or name.

Quotation marks can also be used to indicate a different meaning of a word or phrase than the one typically associated with it, and are often used to express irony. Quotation marks are sometimes incorrectly used to provide emphasis in lieu of other typographic means.

Use quotation marks for all other titles (songs, essays, articles, etc.)

The Beatles’ album, Revolver, contains the song "Dr. Robert."

We read Keats’ poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" in class this week.