I have seen the recent threads about quoting lyrics and short pieces of prose. But for my new teen drama novel (Knives and Rhymes) i haved decided to put an entire poem in there written by T.S Eliot. Is it necessary for me to get permission before i'm able to do this?
Quoting large texts of poetry
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I believe T.S. Eliot might be in the public domain but I could be very wrong about that. A minium of internet reserch should bring up the answer for you. The real question (IMO) is why do you feel like you need the whole poem?
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No, T. S. Eliot's work isn't in the public domain. Yes, T. S. Eliot's estate is remarkably litigious. Yes, you need to get permission.
Actually, some of T.S. Eliot's work is in U.S. public domain: Anything published prior to 1923, which includes "The Waste Land", but does not include "The Hollow Men," to cite two of his most famous. None of his work, however, is in U.K. or EU public domain; the laws differ in various countries.
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It depends on the poem. Keep careful records of your source for the poem, let the publisher know; the publisher will, as a careful sort, almost always insist on permission.
Read the FAQ.
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See I was thinking of The Waste Lands when I said public domian but I wasn't 100% sure so I cautioned a check out. I'm not as familier with his work as I probably should be. Don't tell my poetry prof.
I was just reading an article about T.S. Eliot's widow and how she's refusing to release his letters for publication this morning. I would be scared to come anywhere near the Eliot Estate's radar.
The book is about a boy who lives on the streets and discovers he has a gift for poetry. Now i need to use one of T.S Eliots poems to show him becoming intrigued by poetry thats why its important.
Sparx, I think there are other ways of doing this. One is to make up the "famous poet" on your own and write a poem as though it was that imaginary poet's work that ignites the passion of your character. The other is to remain TS Eliot but to avoid directly quoting. heavily describing the reaction of your character without actually stating the words, mentioning the title of the poem and generally what it was about and how it made your charater feel, all fine.
I have a character that sees and interacts with the ghost of a famous author ever since he read one of the author's books. I never quote the book he read. The ghost and the author's persona are very active in the story but not quoted.
good luck.
I have a character that sees and interacts with the ghost of a famous author ever since he read one of the author's books. I never quote the book he read. The ghost and the author's persona are very active in the story but not quoted.
good luck.
Well, write a nice letter to the Eliot estate and ask if you can use it. I bet you'll have to pay for it, though. And the publisher doesn't usually cover costs of quotations.
Prices range from A Nice Sushi Dinner (my favorite) to really silly amounts of money. Sometimes, it's easier not to quote at all.
Prices range from A Nice Sushi Dinner (my favorite) to really silly amounts of money. Sometimes, it's easier not to quote at all.
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Or find a poet whose works are in the public domain.
Or, rather than quoting the poem, show the young man's reaction to it.
Or, rather than quoting the poem, show the young man's reaction to it.
Stew 21 thanks for that brilliantr advice. I think that i will take your suggestion and simply refer to T.S Eliot without making reference to the poem and simply describe the character's reaction to reading it. Thats exsactly what i shall do.
The Waste Land is freely available on-line, at the well-respected e-text site Bartleby: http://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html
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