The arrival of 2019 heralds more than the promise of a new beginning. It also harkens back to nearly one hundred years ago in that works published in 1923 have finally entered the public domain. This is remarkable because of the fact that in 2004 the courts extended copyright protections for an additional twenty years, increasing the protections from fifty years to seventy years after publication (Fleishman). This generated quite a gap in information release because no material could be released after 1922 for twenty additional years.
To celebrate the closing of the gap, we would like to share with you Robert Frost’s famous poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” which was published in 1923. This is the first year that this poem can be freely shared now that it’s officially in the public domain. Appropriate for the season and beautiful to read aloud to your students, these treasured lines are sure to bring you enjoyment.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
By Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
It’s a poem that needs to be remembered and read. We are so glad that we can finally share it with you. We hope you have a blessed 2019.
N.B. Copyright law is interesting and multifaceted and has more limitations than what we have indicated above. If you would like to learn more about it (it is something teachers should definitely understand so that they can avoid breaching the law), we suggest you check out this website to learn more. The complete law can be viewed here.
Works Cited
Fleishman, Glenn. “For the First Time in More Than 20 Years, Copyrighted Works Will Enter the Public Domain.”
Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, Jan. 2019, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/first-time-20-years- copyrighted-works-enter-public-domain-180971016/. Accessed 2 January 2019.
