What are the copyright laws regarding using a poem in a research paper for a scholarship?
I'm writing a paper over the Holocaust and I came across a beautiful poem by Barbara Sonek. She's a semi-famous poet (not Robert Frost level, but still well-known) who (with a little research) I found works in the New York City school systems. I tried contacting her via e-mail to ask permission to use it, but I got a message saying it couldn't be sent. Would it be all right to use the poem or not?
More Questions From This User See All
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Fair use laws allow you, as the earlier poster said, to use the poem for educational purposes in a non-profit setting. Just give credit to the poet in the paper. And then don't try to make a profit. After a number of years (used to be 75, but I think it's 125 now) poetry enters the public domain and you can produce it for profit if you'd like.
If you live in the United States, you may use the poem in a research paper because it is not for profit. You do need to cite your source.