The Love Song ofJ. Alfred Prufrock

[WilliamW]

Forgive me if I'm repeating a previous thread but, wading through Under The Dome, I came across the following line on page 657 of my Hodder paperback:


So let us go then, you and I, while the evening spreads out against the sky like a patient etherized upon a table.

Which is, of course, the first three lines of T.S. Eliot's great poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
No doubt Stephen King knows this too but I can't find any sort of acknowledgment in the permissions in the front or the author's Note in the back.
I can't believe a novelist of Mr King's experience, longevity and wealth would stoop so low as to plagiarise a few lines from a poet so I'm assuming that he put the piece in as a homage and the publisher then forgot to print the necessary acknowledgements.
Or does anyone know something different?

[Moderator]

Plagiarizing isn't something Stephen does. I don't know the reason why it wasn't acknowledged specifically but it's possible it came under fair usage rules and wasn't required. Just speculation on my part, though--I'd have to ask if that's the case or it was an oversight.

[GNTLGNT]

Oh for God's sake! Save me from purveyors and persecutors of minutiae...

[Pucker]

A quick review of fair usage laws brought up two interesting considerations:

1. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
2. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work

In the first place, I should think that such a short passage -- and particularly one as (comparatively) recognizable as this one -- would fall easily into the first category. As to the second point, I hardly think Mr. King is leaning very heavily on T.S. Eliot to help him sell his books. And in any case, I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a lawyer (or two . . . or nine) somewhere whose principal job is to understand the specifics of exactly these kinds of situations.

Heaven knows, if I had a nickel for every kid who stole that bit about the fog coming in on little cat's feet . . .

But I digress.

[bobledrew]

I think it would be a bit naive to think you could quote the beginning of Prufrock, a poem that's taught in probably every university intro to English Lit course, and get away with it.

The poem is out of copyright, so there would be no legal requirement to obtain permission or to acknowledge it.

That would be called an allusion. He continues the illusion later in the chapter when he writes "Let's head up these deserted streets..." which is another allusion to Prufrock.

[Tinahorve]

In all my Stephen King reading, gotta say I have never once read the acknowledge in the permissions section of any of the books. Guess I might have to start - might be missing something.

[bobledrew]

There used ot be a lot of acknowledgements with books like Christine because of the song lyrics that would be quoted.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

'On the board the members came and went,
Talking of what Stephren King may have meant'

Long days and pleasant nights

[omm poppa mow mow]

Stuff like this sure is discouraging. I see and understand the intent, purpose, whatever that formed the accusation, question, boork boork boork!

Belgium! Never knew that Belgium! is considered cussing somewhere. Ha! That explains Mike, friend from the country.

How many people do you know that use words, phrases, and such from song, poems, stories? We've all done that a time or two, haven't we? Cause it does what? Breeds familiarity? I'm not trying to be smarmy but sheesh, this is discouraging. I'd give you a pile of for instances. There's gotta be a way to parody this kind of thing. Wonder what happens if you use a pile of things like that, song lyrics and such? Let the big heads worry about it? Keep a watch posted for process servers? He's out, said he had to run to the story for some sugar and Rice-a-Roni.

Yeah, like commercials, is Standard Oil going to come calling after this: You expect more from Standard, and you get it. HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Or that classic: Hamm's the beer refreshing! You can trust your car to the man who wears the star!

[LWAyres]

Actually, it's not just in Under the Dome. That same quote was used in The Stand, too.