From the copyright.gov homepage, click on the electronic Copyright Office (eCO) link. Register to use the eCO system. Once you are registered you will be brought to a home screen, click on "Register a New Claim" under the head "Copyright Services."
Click on "Start Registration" at the top of the screen. From the drop-down menu of types of work available, choose "Literary Works" for poetry. Click "Continue."
Follow the on-screen prompts to fill out the registration form.
Select a method of payment for the non-refundable $35 registration fee. You can pay online with a debit/credit card or electronic fund transfer.
Choose whether or not you intend to send hard copies or digital copies of your work. If choosing to submit digital copies, then browse and upload the file. Pay close attention to the required file formats.
To send a copy in the mail, print and fill out the required shipping slip.
From the homepage, click on "My Applications" to review and print out a copy of the application for your records.
Contact the copyright office to have them send you a copy of the paper registration form. Different forms are needed for different types of works: TX (literary works), VA (visual arts works), PA (performing arts works), SR (sound recording works) and SE (single serials).
Fill out the form using black ink only.
Mail the application, a non-refundable $65 filing fee, and a copy of the work to the Library of Congress. For literary works, the address is:
Library of Congress
U.S. Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20559-6222