Poetry and Artificial Intelligence

Occasionally we host guest posts on this blog. They are often topical, provocative or simply informative. This guest post by Dr. Iain Strachan is all three. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

Can AI pass the Turing Test today? by Iain Strachan

In a Invisible Poets Road Show in Derby, Steve Wheeler asked me if I thought AI had passed the Turing test. I replied "Yes ... and No." 

I had just read a poem "A chatBot named Christopher" about Alan Turing, where I had claimed that the answer is "No".

However, AI-generated poetry continues to fool us again and again. I have been fooled by it. I once praised someone's Villanelle on Invisible Poets that on closer examination turned out to be AI generated.

Why does this happen? I think it's to do with the way we interact with pop songs. I asked a member of my family "When you listen to a pop song, do you think about the words?" He replied "Not really. If I know the words, I'll sing along to the tune, but I don't think about what they mean."

I expect most people are like that. Pop songs have to be singable, so the lyrics fit the tune, and so we are only engaging with the words on a superficial level. So they need to flow smoothly, have simple rhyme schemes etc.

Human poetry is different. It doesn't always have a smooth iambic pentameter rhythm; for example:

For thou'rt slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men (John Donne), or
The soil/is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod (Gerard Manley Hopkins).

See how the strong syllables pile up with no light syllables between. The Hopkins also has enjambment, where the sense carries on over the line break. Song lyrics don't do this - normally each line stands alone.

It's the same with AI generated poetry. It is polished, and flows nicely; each line is self-contained. But, whereas with a pop song, you can find depth and meaning in the lyrics: a story told, or a telling metaphor, if you examine an AI poem carefully, you won't find any depth; it falls apart as a sequence of poetic sounding phrases and clichés strung together with no clear overall message.

So if you find a poem that seems super smooth and polished, take a closer look before you enthuse about it. Don't give the AI fakers their serotonin boost! If it's AI, it will fall apart and you'll find the words of my chatBot poem to be still true:

Chatbots today can't pass the Turing Test
Their show of understanding's fake, at best.

Iain Strachan

Image used under a Creative Commons License

Getting out of a rut

How long have you been stuck in that creative rut? You know the signs: the tendency to write the same old stuff over and over again. You can't seem to break out of the end rhyme scheme you're in. It's a never ending cycle and you can't break free from it. No matter how you try your writing keeps veering back toward that ABAB scheme. You can't think of any new theme or topic to write a poem about. You stare at a blank page and there is a nagging thought - that maybe your muse has left you and gone off to find some other poet to inspire. Writer's block! You overthink it; you contrive your lines, casting aside sense and purpose to try to force them to rhyme. It doesn't look very good at all. When you write your verse, it reads worse than ChatGPT on a bad day... boring and predictable, and full of cliches. Every poet goes through something like this at some point in their lives. Some are cursed with it forever, it seems.

Well, there are many ways to break out from this rut, so you can start to write creative, unique poetry. Here are ten cool tips to help you (if you know any others, you are welcome to add them to the comments section).

1) Keep writing. Write anything. It doesn't matter if it's garbage, Keep writing, and don't stop. Write down the first words that come into your head. Eventually, there will be a gem or two you can keep and build a poem around.

2) Keep a pad and pen, or your smartphone by your bed. If you wake in the night with an inspiration, write it down. Come back to it in the morning, and maybe there will be something your scribbled down in the dark that you can develop.

3) Ignore all the opinionated 'geniuses' out there who try to tell you what you can or can't write. They are usually pedantic hair-splitters anyway. There are no rules. You can write in any style and in any way you wish, to create your art. Don't stop because you think its nonsense, and don't listen to the poetry Nazis.

4) It doesn't need to rhyme. 

5) Try out some new formats and frames of writing. Experiment with a Pantoum or a Villanelle, or dabble with some Haiku or a freeform piece of writing. This blog is also full of ideas about how to work poetic devices into your poetry. Have a search around, and see what you can find.

6) Try writing from your stream of consciousness. Relax, close your eyes, and wait for the words or the thoughts to come to you. As they do, write them down. They may be disconnected from each other, and quite random. It doesn't matter. Write them all down. You can always edit them later...

7) Open a book at random, and with your eyes closed, point to somewhere on a page. Write about the word or phrase your finger has landed upon. 

8) Use cut-up poetry ideas - the concept of found poetry can have amazing results if you just go with the flow of what you discover. 

9) Ask someone to give you a topic or theme to write about. It can be one word, or a phrase, or a historical event or a person. Just write about whatever they have said. 

10) There are no rules. I have already said this in 3, but it's worth repeating - and this time, imagine an audience out there waiting to hear you perform that poem you're about to write. What do you want to say to them? How do you want to say it? Remember - there are no rules!

I hope these ten tips are useful to you, and help you to break out of the rut you might be in. Please add your ideas in the comments below. We would all love to read them, and try them out.

Steve Wheeler

Image used under a Creative Commons Licence by Smenglesrud

Poetic devices 16: Euphony

Euphony is the opposite to cacophony. In cacophony, harsh, jarring, dischordent sounds are made, usually to draw attention to something unpleasant or dangerous. A siren wails to warn of impending danger. A harsh cry tells us something alarming is happening. In Euphony, rhythmic and harmonious sounds are made to draw attention to something pleasant or appealing. In movies, you'll note that mellow instruments such as flutes, strings or harps dominate music that illustrates a soothing, romantic or reassuring scene. 

In poetry or prose, a combination of words or a sequence of rhythmic sounds can achieve euphony. If they enjoy the sound texture or harmony, readers are more likely to enjoy the text of the poem too. The rhythm and tempo of the words in the lines is important. So too is the rhyme, whether internal or end placed. But not all poetry has to rhyme, so consonance and assonance are also important in creating euphony. Finally, repetition or refrain can also be used to create euphony. All of these have been described in previous blog posts in this series. Just click on the blue hyperlinks in the words to read those articles. 

To Autumn, by John Keats, features many of these devices to create a great euphonic poem:

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Notice how Keats uses regular repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables. There is also a very soothing end rhyme scheme in play. 

One of my all time favourite poems is Do Not Go Gentle by Dylan Thomas, which is presented in the form of a very pleasing, euphonic form known as a Villanelle. Here's the final stanza:

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Note that in a Villanelle, some lines naturally repeat, but it is the poet's use of soft consonants (sad, gentle, fierce) and long vowel sounds (pray, rage and good) that really gives this poem its soothing euphony. 

Previous posts in this series

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Repetition and refrains
4. Alliteration
5. Assonance
6. End Rhymes
7. Internal Rhymes
8. Rhythm and Tempo
9. Enjambment

10. Allegory

11. Metonymy

12. Cacophony

13. Calligram

14. Personification

15. Paradox

Steve Wheeler

Image by Pickpik using Creative Commons

Poetic devices 6: End rhymes

What was the first poem you ever read? Bet you can't remember. Neither can I. Chances are it would have included end rhymes. Nursery rhymes are for children and this is usually their first exposure. It will probably have included the simplest end rhyme scheme like this:

Baa baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir
Three bags full

Or maybe something a little more complex like an AABAAB end rhyme scheme:

Jack and Jill
went up the hill
to fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down
and broke his crown
and Jill came tumbling after

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, Jack Spratt and several other well-known nursery rhymes feature the exact same format.

The end rhyme adds to the attraction of the verse, and helps us all to remember the story. Plenty of adult poetry is also composed of end rhymes, sometimes in a more complicated pattern such as a Villanelle, Limerick or Sonnet. And yet, when people first start out writing poetry for themselves, they usually default to ABAB rhyme schemes, often in the shape of a 4 line quatrain. 

There's nothing wrong with this of course. We all have to learn somehow. But it's no co-incidence that Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT also default to this same format when asked to write a poem. It's a telltale sign if you are trying to detect poetry generated by AI. 

Tyger, Tyger by the English poet William Blake is a classic example of an AABB end rhyme quatrain:

Tyger, Tyger burning bright
in the forests of the night;
what immortal hand or eye,
could frame thy fearful symmetry?

It's simple but incredibly effective in setting the scene for an atmospheric poem full of imagery. 

But here's a caveat - although end rhyme poetry is something just about every poet gravitates toward, it can also be a trap. Poets can spend hours agonising over how they are going to get their poetry to rhyme. Some end up sacrificing meaning and credibility by coming up with trite and banal end rhymes that detract from the beauty of the poem. 

You know what I'm talking about. It's a trap best avoided. If you are writing poetry with end rhymes, do make sure that the poem doesn't lose its sense or purpose because of a silly little end rhyme that matches sonically, but actually damages your poetry. 

Steve Wheeler

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Other posts in the Poetic Devices Series:

1. Simile

2. Metaphor

3. Repetition and refrains

4. Alliteration

5. Assonance

Poetic devices 3: Repetition and refrains

They say that history repeats itself. It has to. Because no-one ever listens. 

That was, of course, a clever line from a poem by Steve Turner from his Nice and Nasty collection. But repetition is also a poetic device. In songs it's known as a refrain. A line or a whole chorus is repeated throughout the song, mainly to carry the hook line, but also to emphasise a phrase or a key point. In poetry the latter is always a good reason to repeat a line. 

There are a variety of fixed form poems that build a repetition of selected lines into their structure. The Villanelle is one example; another is the Pantoum. In both, the refrain shapes the rhythm and tempo of the poem, but can also emphasise and drive home the message the poet wishes to convey. In rhetorical poetry and prose this is known as anaphora. 

Dog by Lawrence Ferlinghetti is a poem written from the perspective of the poet's dog. The poem appears simplistic at first but as you read it you quickly realise it is deeply philosophical, and the repeated lines begin to hammer home the message that the poem is really about us and our own inner dialogues.

The dog trots freely in the street
and sees reality
and the things he sees
are bigger than himself
...
The dog trots freely thru the street
and the things he sees
are smaller than himself
...
The dog trots freely in the street
and has his own dog’s life to live ...

The entire poem can be read at this link.

Another type of repetition is known as epistrophe, where the same line is repeated at the end of an entire stanza or multiple lines. Again, this can be used effectively for emphasis, but can also be used to maintain the tempo of the poem. For a great example of this, watch the Bard of Salford, John Cooper Clarke performing his excellent poem Beasley Street (this version has a music backing). 

Building repetition and refrains into your poetry takes a little effort, especially if you want it to make sense. But with a little effort and some practice it can become second nature. Quite a few of my own poemw draw to some extent on repetitive lines and rhythmic use of words. Try it. It's a lot of fun. (I said try it. It's a lot of fun).  

Previous posts in the poetic devices series:

1: Similes
2: Metaphors

Steve Wheeler

Image by Maurits Escher on Wikimedia Commons

Pull up a Pantoum

I've shown you around the Villanelle and taught you how to use the Triolet, now let's have a look at how to pull up a Pantoum. What on earth is a Pantoum I hear you ask? It's a poem of any length that is comprised of four line stanzas (quatrains), but there is an interesting little feature in the format.  The second and last lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next stanza! More often than not, the poem is concluded by the last line being the same as the first - you go full circle. 

The name Pantoum, might make you think that this type of poem originated in an Arab country. That would be incorrect. Pantoums first emerged in Malaysia in the 15th Century, and a variety of well known writers such as Charles Baudelaire and Victor Hugo were proponents. 

I would like to offer you an example, so to avoid any copyright issues, here's one of my Pantoums:

Once Upon a Time

Could this be us in once upon a time?
Is this a nightmare or a wild dream?
I feel like I’m performing in a pantomime
Is this as crazy as I think it seems?

Is this a nightmare or a wild dream?
My heart is racing like an untamed horse
Is this as crazy as I think it seems?
I need to get back to the source

My heart is racing like an untamed horse
I feel like I’m performing in a pantomime
I need to get back to the source
Could this be us in once upon a time?

Steve Wheeler © 31 March, 2022

As ever, your comments are welcomed, and also any of your own work in Pantoum form - please share in the comments box below. I promise to comment.

Steve Wheeler

Image from Wallpaper Flare shared under a Creative Commons Licence

Villanelle

A villanelle is a French verse form consisting of five three-line stanzas (known as tercets) and a final, four line stanza (known as a quatrain). 

The first and third lines of the first stanza are repeated alternately in the following stanzas. 

One of the most famous villanelles was written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Look at the format. and pay attention to the repeated lines:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieve it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

It's a very clever poem, written about the passing of the poet's father. You might feel inspired to write a villanelle yourself. It's certainly a challenge if you've never tried before, but have a go ... and you may surprise yourself. Ultimately, you will have learnt a new poetry skill and you never know where it may lead you!

Please feel free to post your villanelle poems in the comments box below and I will comment on them.

Steve Wheeler

Image from Pxfuel used under a Creative Commons licence

Writing a Villanelle

This is a blog  that I posted as a lesson in both the INVISIBLE POETS and the WHEELSONG POETS groups on Facebook. Both are living breathing and dynamic aspects of what Wheelsong is about and has to offer. We are very proud of our roster of amazing poets, and their level of engagement. 

Steve Wheeler asked that I place it on the Wheelsong Blogspot as well, so here it is as follows! Please feel free to join in and follow the prompt to post your poems here just as our poets on Facebook do! I will be more than happy to read them and share some collaboration on the colorful villianelle form!

                                      

I’ve been overwhelmed with not only the DIVERSITY of the content incorporated into your group  poems lately, but also the SKILL with which everyone is expressing their themes. 

This exercise is for those poets that are willing to work their expressions into various forms that are used by those masters of old we love so much. Today over our shimmering horizons of creation comes that most versatile of forms, the VILLANELLE (or the VILLAINESQUE).

This form, once tamed, is not as villainous or difficult as it may seem! I would go into the history of it, which is amazing, but this is an exercise. We are focusing on writing here!

It simply consists of five three line stanzas and a final quatrain, with the first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. These two lines (known as refrains) form the final couplet in the quatrain (or four line kind of line grouping).

Historically, this form on the whole deals with various kinds of obsessions, which appeal to outsiders. The repetition within the verse defies convention to create something very unique. It’s a clever way to write a poem that seems very intricate, but follows a rather simple pattern. 

One of my heroes, Dylan Thomas, used this form to write his master craft poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into The Night”. Notice how the above rules apply in his following effort…

                                     —

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

                                     —

Pay close attention to the end rhymes and where the repeating verses are set within the poem! They are subtle, but are most effective when crafted properly. It’s a bit like fitting your poem together like a puzzle, with a dazzling picture to admire once the puzzle is set out upon your table.

I invite you to stretch your poetic wings and write a villanelle. Start with an overlying theme within the repetitions of the first three lines that you want to dance with, then go on to spin your partner around in the next four three line verses. The end four line verse sums it all up and repeats your theme. There is no syllable count, which is nice. USE DYLAN’S PLACEMENTS AS A TEMPLATE TO REFER TO IN PLACING YOUR WORDS.

This exercise is another step in adding weapons to your expressional arsenal. The more arrows you have in your poetic quiver, the more you can practice hitting the bullseye as a real deal poet with your variable forms!!!

Good luck my poet friends! Also, please POST YOUR VILLANELLES IN THE COMMENTS below so I can acknowledge your works in a subsequent post. The more you write and get your name out there, the more you will get noticed! And you deserve recognition. EVERYONE OF YOU!

Also, feel free to comment on the submissions below. We are here to not only be recognized, but to recognize others. We are learning and supporting each other like all families do. Only our family is WORLDWIDE!!!!!

As always, the writer writes. I am with you, and I will be commenting on your poem as we go!!! Good luck dear poet, and write on!!! 🚀

Moderatin’ Matt Elmore