Is it okay to use someone's poetry as my song lyrics?

I love music, poetry and I love to sing, I do write my own lyrics but they aint good enough. So I try to use people's poetry for lyrics to my songs... Poetry expresses feelings way better and you guys here are really good at what you do. Wish I could know how to write poetry, it'll help me with lyric wrting.

Its plagiarizing when you steal someones written property.

I suggest asking for help and learn to be a better writer thsn to steal.

Familiarize your self with the rules:

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/article.html?id=659

If you want to use someone's work, PM them, explain your wishes & abide by their decision. Also, you must credit them even when given permission.

Conversely, if denied permission, or if you did not even ask for permission, not even crediting them gives you the right to use the work.

I'd be furious if you used my poetry for your song...its not your work its mine.

However, I have recently started songwriting because youre right, poetry is much deeper and makes for a better song...if you PM I'll give you some pointers and help you!

"So I try to use people's poetry for lyrics to my songs... "

WOW lol

Yeah...lol...I got it lostlove,,,

so skywalker basing on what have you posted and the lines loslove highlighted you already used some poems here in your songs?

In respone to the OP

Hell no it is NOT okay to use someone elses poetry for your songs!

You have no poems or quotes, so why are you here?

Fishing through our poetry for your songs OMG

Calm down
if he was gonna do it he wouldn't ask!!

They didnt ask...it says.."so i try to use peoples poetry.."

Dont really see a question mark asking for permission in that statement.

Yeah he asked in the title, but with that statement sounds like, he's already done it...

I agree with Ddavidd.

He appears ignorant of the protocol but he asked permission.

^"so i try to use peoples poetry.."

He even says TRY. That implies requesting permission.

If he walked into a hornets nest it is because of the past experiences we had from those who never asked.

I just found my poem on facebook.

Someday You'll Knw That I Was The One for you.."

June 23.

If you were mine for just a moment-
if your hands were mine to hold,
I'd wrap these arms around you
and you'd never feel the cold.

I'd tell you that I loved you,
Oh I've loved you for so long...
Just so that you remember,
I'm writing you this song.

Cos ever since the first time
that I saw your handsome face-
I knew right at that moment
No one else could take your place.

Damn, but you are not my lover.
You belong to someone new,
it really doesn't matter...
my heart still belongs to you.
Deepanshu

Try implies he has tried unless it said.."so i'd like to try", thatd tell me he hasnt and is curious if he may.

.and i agree, its because of past issues....its a hot topic for people who have had their work stolen.

It is not a matter of semantic why he did not ask in title or... maybe he thought the question is already asked in title why should do it again.
The thing is You guys can not get mad at those who do it without asking, in darkness. and take it on the one who has the courtesy and courage of bringing it to the light.
Why not constructively explain it to him like Larry or you in the beginning??

It is about semantics to me, sorry, but I'll get defensive if someone doesn't word something right and makes me think my poetry has yet again been stolen.

my original post was just a simple answer that'd I'd give to anyone. I'd be pissed if I saw my poetry in someones song. i stand by that. .., I am also not the type to give permission to use it.

I was in the down town of a bad neighborhood in some country that I do not wish to name. Backing up my friend hit a car and broke one of its headlight. How honest he was he knocked on few possible doors to find the owner. When the owner came out he started to yell at my friend: why don't you watch where you going and you also broke the other headlight too, which was impossible from the angle. I said to that man: if he(my friend) did that he would have told you since he was the one who came looking for you. The man tole me to mind my business and to "F. up". and then few neighbors gathered and they started to gang on us, so we had to run away.

Evidently some people broke his light before and ran away therefore he was very mad taking it on us!!

^

Funny, is it not? Trying to be moral.

Good story, but I already understood your point before that.

Its just difference in opinion. I think semantics are important...i always pay attention to wording, and if I use wording wrong I'm quick to apologize. You always have to mean what you say and say what you mean... a post like this should probably be further explained to avoid people thinking their poetry was stolen because like I said, with all the past problems, its quick and natural to get defensive.

Cool, I give this person props for asking, but like I said, it kind of already sounds like he has used poetry so he's asking now to cover it up or better learn if its right or wrong...which should have been done before using poetry that isn't yours (assuming he has)

There is no evident of if he did it before, you are assuming then you allow yourself to get angry based on your assumption.

Your ethics about the words are good I am abide by them too but you can not expect others to obey your own personal morality!!

I actually was not and am not angry....just saying I WOULD be if someone used them...Im not easily angered, especially by people on the internet.

I was just giving my opinion is all, as you were giving yours. no need to further a discussion on morals. please.....all i do is HOPE people say what they mean and mean what they say but trust me, I'm not in denial, this world is ridiculous and I don't expect everyone to follow it... By 'you" I mean in general....just suggesting it.

Haha you, brought the morality issue up not me.
and yes suggesting a better morality is what poets do.
and I am glad that you are not angry and it just looked that way

I read it like Chels did..

I try to use others poetry.... so to me I immediately thought he's already used it. It'd be like:

I can't cook well, so I try others' recipes.

Would you assume I ask permission to try recipes, or that I'm attempting to cook with the recipe?

Meh.

WAIT! can we not use others recipes?

dang, then I have plagiarized so many unconsciously but I still wonder why they don't taste the same.

(EDIT: thinking about it, I think nop I haven't plagiarized, i always tell them the link where I find them)

I write a lot without really thinking.

Does that mean I have plagiarized my own mind?

"I read it like Chels did.."
that goes without saying!!

Darren
that means you plagiarizing your insight

The truth is we are not that much of good poets but we are possessive proud and paranoid instead. Instead of focusing on creation we focus on the glamorous part of the job, making sure everyone knows that "I" wrote that piece.
Plagiarizing is an ethical issue. The stupidity is that why should someone do something that is already written. We all have to celebrate a good poetry, a piece of great music... We must learn that any piece of art is the result of collective endeavor rather than personal. Hafez's Ghazals or Shakespeare's sonnets belong to everyone they are human heritage. Whole society is participant in the creation of art::
We give back to the society something that has been given to us. We internalize them; we shape them, personalize them and reflect them back. As soon as it is reflected, it is a part of collective property in general. The glamor and the fame are just incentive to push the individuals forward. An artist should never let this to get into his/her head. Pride and conceit tarnish talent and inspiration and most of all the sincerity of our works.
I myself would be very glad if I hear someone, in Africa for example, using my poems in some lyrics, especially when my name is mentioned. (Which obviously is not even my real name)

I like that, plagiarizing my insight...

To be honest and probably unpopular, I really couldn't give a dam if people copy, pass off or use my stuff as theirs.
I put it out there in the big bad world, so do what you like with it.

What is the worst that could happen?

Someone couuuld make money off you selling a book with a poem of yours in it. Unlikely but possible.

You are even one step ahead of me in this. Letting go is very healthy.
Salvador Dali was designing some very sophisticated object, they asked him what he is going to do with it . He said he wants to bury it.
Tibetan Monks do that too . In group they design on the sand for month and then after finishing such a master piece, they walk on it.

Linda, I agree with the 'unlikely' part, but thanks

RM, that is amazing, it would be like me deleting all of my stuff.................though I am not quite at that stage yet

(not again anyway)

Wait. I think I'm confused. Why would they walk on it?

^ I think to erase it?

^Probably to illustrate the ephemeral nature of life, and to practice letting go.

Smarty-pants'.

Hi skywalker....=)

for those so looong conversation.....

therefore i conclude that:

YOU SHOULD ASK FIRST PERMISSION FROM THE WRITER IF THEY WILL LET YOU,USE THEIR POEM...CAUSE IF NOT YOU CAN BE OUT OF THIS CLUB FOR PLAGIARIZING ONES WORK..

or YOU CAN ASK THEM TO HELP YOU FOR YOUR SONGS...

i know you can write one..coz you said so..but aint good enough...right??if the lyrics wont fit your tune... why dont you adjust the tune to fit the lyrics......=)

its either of the two....
just express yourself....know what you want first so that it is easy for you..

=)

good luck...

"Smarty-pants'."

; )