You may need to add or remove words from each line of your poetry to make them into verses. Be open to changing the lines of your poetry as needed to make them into song lyrics. When you are creating the verses, use lines in your poetry that are easy to follow and understand. You can also rearrange words or lines in your poetry to form a verse.
For example, you may take a longer line in your poetry like, “The wind screams by my window and I am alone in my childhood bedroom, trying not to look at the new moon” and break it up to create a chorus: “The wind screams by my window/I am alone/The wind screams by my window/I’m not looking/The wind screams/At the new moon. ” The chorus of the song will usually contain the title of the song. You may use the title of your poem as inspiration for the chorus of the song.
If you decide to include rhyme in your song lyrics, you may simplify the rhyme scheme in your poetry so it is more casual and easy to follow. For example, if you have a poem where every second line rhymes, you may adjust it so only the first and third lines rhyme or only the second and fourth lines rhyme. If you are composing rap lyrics, you may decide to stick to a couplet rhyming scheme, where every two lines rhyme in the song.
“20th Century Schizoid Man” by King Crimson, which was co-written by poet Peter Sinfield. “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan, who is considered a poet as well as a songwriter. “Blood on the Leaves” by Nina Simone, which is considered a song with poetic, powerful lyrics. “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell, who is considered a poetic singer-songwriter.
For example, if you have a line in your poem like “Alone I felt in a sea of people,” you may adjust it to, “I felt alone in a sea of people” or “Just me in a sea of people. ”
For example, you may have a line in your poem like, “I feel the ground/by the cemetery. ” You may then adjust the line for song lyrics and make it, “The cool, hard ground/I feel it/By the cemetery/Where she died. ”
For example, maybe you have a detail in your poetry about how it feels for you to lose your best friend. You may then include these details in a song about your relationship about your best friend, discussing the relationship from your perspective.
For example, you may notice that your poetry often explores the recent birth of your brother. You may then pull lines out of your poetry to write a song that tells the story of the joyous day your brother was born.
You may also choose a melody that fits the mood or subject matter of your poetry. For example, if your poetry is about isolation and sadness, you may pick a melody that is just guitar on its own to create a lonely, isolated sound.
You may need to try singing a few different poems or lines of poetry to the melody to get a better sense of what works and what doesn’t. You may also need to sing the same lines of poetry several times to the melody to find the right rhythm. Be patient and have fun playing around with your words against the melody.
You can then start creating verses and a chorus for the song, making use the words match well with the melody you have chosen.
