Who owns the rights to a lover's poems?

Seeking to publish poems written by former admirers

Many years ago, several ardent admirers wrote poems about me in wonderful, lusty, funny, romantic, and adoring prose. These were presented to me as gifts, for my amusement and, of course, to gain favor. My question: I would like to print some of these delightful poems. Do I own them, or can I use them only if I give the writers credit? Suppose I can't locate them or they are deceased?

You are free to publish these poems only if your lovers also transferred the copyrights when they sent them along to you -- a decidedly unromantic move, not to mention introducing huge problems in rhyming and cadence. You would need to get permission from the estates of former suitors who have left this world.

You might, however, want to consider the personal, as well as the legal implications of your proposal. Just put yourself in the love-inspired throes your former admirers were in. They likely wrote poems aimed at your heart and soul, not for public consumption. You might just want to leave those bon mots alone, as your own delicious secret.