Q&A for How to Turn Poetry Into Lyrics

Generally, acoustic guitar is the best instrument to create melody. Otherwise, piano also works.

Of course you can use acoustic guitar as your background music. This is your song, so you are allowed to use your own discretion.

Pick out phrases and/or words that convey the general meaning of your poem and use those to craft your refrain.

You can use any poems you want for song lyrics. It's completely up to your personal preference.

Of course! With more people analyzing your poetry and trying to create specific lines or stanzas into a verse, bridge, or chorus, you'll be able to have more fun and have more ideas to bounce around and improve on. However, if you do enjoy transforming a poem into a song alone, go ahead. It doesn't matter who you have creating the song as long as the process is fun and not tedious.

You don't need to. Just hum a few things and play around with them.

Change the melody or some of the notes or change some of the words and/or how you sing them. Just experiment until you find something you like.

You could send individual poems to a literary journal for consideration, or if you have a book of poems you can send them to a publisher. Make sure to choose a publisher that publishes poetry titles.

You can replace words in a melody with your own words, just make sure that the syllable pattern is similar. Also, beware of copyright violations if you are planning to publish a song made in this way.

Yes, that is a great idea and would work well. For example, Saul Williams and the French rapper Grand Corps Malade got their start in music when other people set their poems to music.

For a happy theme, use C, Am, F, and G. For a sad theme, use Am, Dm, Em or Am, F, C, G.