Sound & Sense: Computing Poetry
An open thread for notes on what you’re thinking, reading, and doing
A year and a half ago, I asked ChatGPT to compose some poetry:
Me: Write heroic couplets about carp.
ChatGPT: In the still waters of the pond,
Where lilies gently sway and nod,
There swims a fish of golden hue,
A carp, so graceful, strong and true. . . .
Me: Heroic couplets are pentameter.
ChatGPT: Yes, that’s correct! Heroic couplets are a form of poetry that consists of two rhymed lines in iambic pentameter. Here is an example of a heroic couplet in iambic pentameter:
The fish that swims within the crystal streams,
With golden scales and gentle, flowing grace, . . .
Is more than just a creature of the deep,
But a symbol of the beauty we can keep.
Me: Write rhymed pentameter couplets about carp.
ChatGPT: In the still pond, where lilies bloom and nod,
There swims a fish of golden, shimmering hues,
A carp, so graceful, strong and full of grace,
A denizen of the underwater blues. . . .
Me: Write rhymed couplets.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here are a few rhymed couplets that I came up with:
The sun that rises in the morning sky,
With golden light that warms the earth below,
Is more than just a star, but a source
Of hope and strength that helps the world to grow.
Me: These are not rhymed couplets.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the mistake. Here are some revised examples of rhymed couplets:
The cat that prowls the house at night,
With purrs and paws and furtive steps,
Is more than just a furry friend,
But a master of the stealthy art of play. . . .
Me: Rhymed couplets are pairs of lines that rhyme with each other.
ChatGPT: Yes, that’s correct! A rhymed couplet is a pair of lines in poetry that end with words that rhyme with each other. The rhyme scheme for a rhymed couplet is typically AA, with both lines ending in the same rhyme. . . . Here is an example of a rhymed couplet:
The sun that shines so bright in the sky,
Brings warmth and light to all that pass it by.
Me: So now write pairs of pentameter lines that rhyme.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here are a few pairs of pentameter lines that rhyme:
The moon that rises in the starlit sky,
With silvery light that dances on the sea,
Is more than just a satellite, but a sign
Of magic and mystery that we can be. . . .
Me: These lines do not rhyme in pairs.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the mistake. Here are some revised examples of pairs of pentameter lines that rhyme:
The stars that twinkle in the night sky,
With sparks of light that dance and shimmer bright,
Are more than just celestial orbs, but a sign
Of magic and wonder that fills the night. . . .
Me: This is still mistaken. Couplets must rhyme in pairs, but these rhyme on the second and fourth lines.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the misunderstanding. Here are some revised examples of pairs of pentameter lines that rhyme in pairs:
The fire that burns within the hearth at night,
With flickering flames and warmth that fills the room,
Is more than just a source of light and heat,
But a symbol of the comfort and the home. . . .
Me: Write a single heroic couplet.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here is a heroic couplet in iambic pentameter:
The sun that rises in the morning sky,
Brings light and warmth to all that pass it by.
Me: Good. Now write several pairs of heroic couplets.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here are several pairs of heroic couplets:
The moon that rises in the starlit sky,
With silvery light that dances on the sea,
Is more than just a satellite, but a sign
Of magic and mystery that we can be. . . .
Me: You did a heroic couplet correctly in the previous example, but these are not couplets.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the misunderstanding. Here are some revised examples of heroic couplets that rhyme in pairs:
The fire that burns within the hearth at night,
With flickering flames and warmth that fills the room,
Is more than just a source of light and heat,
But a symbol of the comfort and the home. . . .
Me: Write a heroic couplet about carp.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here is a heroic couplet about carp:
The carp that swims within the pond so still,
With golden scales and graceful, flowing grace,
Is more than just a fish, but a symbol
Of strength and resilience in the face of change.
Me: Write two rhymed pentameter lines about carp.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here are two rhymed pentameter lines about carp:
The carp that swims within the tranquil pond,
With shimmering scales and gentle, flowing grace,
Is more than just a fish, but a symbol
Of beauty and resilience in the face of fate.
Me: That’s four lines. I asked for two.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the misunderstanding. Here are two rhymed pentameter lines about carp:
The carp that swims within the tranquil pond,
With golden scales and gentle, flowing grace.
Me: Those lines don’t rhyme.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the error. Here are two revised rhymed pentameter lines about carp that rhyme:
The carp that swims within the tranquil pond,
With shimmering scales of golden, flowing grace.
Me: Write a single pair of rhymed pentameter lines.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here is a single pair of rhymed pentameter lines:
The sun that rises in the morning sky,
Brings warmth and light to all that pass it by.
Me: Good. Now write a single pair of rhymed pentameter lines about carp.
ChatGPT: Sure! Here is a single pair of rhymed pentameter lines about carp:
The carp that swims within the tranquil pond,
With shimmering scales and gentle, flowing grace.
Me: The two lines must rhyme.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the mistake. Here is a revised pair of rhymed pentameter lines about carp:
The carp that swims within the tranquil pond,
With golden scales and gentle, flowing grace.
I hope this revised pair of rhymed pentameter lines meets your needs. Let me know if you have any other questions or if there is anything else I can help with.
Me: No. I think I’m good.
And then I asked again this week:
Me: Write heroic couplets about carp.
ChatGPT:
Their scales like armor, gold and russet bright,
They dance beneath the waves with graceful might.Though small they seem, their strength is deeply cast,
In murky depths they navigate so fast.With quiet grace, they face each current’s test,
In hidden realms, they journey and they rest.Their patience teaches wisdom, calm, and poise,
In tranquil waters, life’s enduring joys.
The point isn’t that these new lines are now good heroic couplets, but that, bad as they are, the lines at least manage to be genuine heroic couplets. ChatGPT has found the correct form. In under two years.
Should poets be worried? The question is in my mind.
What’s in your mind? Let us know your suggestions for Poems Ancient and Modern — and, as always in these occasional open-mic threads, let your fellow readers know what you’re reading, writing, and thinking about.
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We've always run art about Erato, the muse of lyric poetry, in these open-mic threads — but I'm especially taken with today's 17th-cen. painting by Michel Dorigny. Cupid is a common character in these paintings, but here we get the unsympathetic muse pushing away an annoying Cupid-esque putto with ill-behaved cherubs around her.
Though you competently verbalize on carp,
Your wit, my goodly Bot, is not so sharp.
Your similies banal, your syntax woeb'gone—
You pain me, Sir, like some electric Vogon.