Playing with ChatGPT

Input: Let's write a poem about wind, sunshine, meadows with greening grass and buttercups blooming yellow

ChatGPT (free version)

In the meadow green and bright,
The sunshine bathes the land in light,
And on the breeze, the wind takes flight,
As buttercups bloom golden bright.

Their petals dance in the gentle breeze,
As if they're whispering secrets to the trees,
And the rustling grass beneath their knees,
Soothes their worries, and puts them at ease.

The wind carries the scent of the blooms,
As they sway and dance, dispelling gloom,
And in this moment, all their worries consume,
As they bask in nature's sweet perfume.

The sunshine bathes them in its warmth,
As they lay in the meadow's grassy arms,
And the world around them seems transformed,
As they're lost in the meadow's calming charms.

So let the wind blow, and the sun shine,
As the meadow's beauty is truly divine,
And the buttercups, oh so fine,
Remind us of nature's wonder, pure and kind.

Analysis:

This is really a terrible poem. This is the kind of poem I would try to write in free verse, but when I ask ChatGPT to rewrite the poem in free verse, it doesn't. It still writes rhyme, and almost the exact same thing. See below.

Input: Can you rewrite this as free verse?

ChatGPT

In the meadow, green and bright,
Sunshine streams, a sea of light,
The wind, it blows, takes to flight,
Buttercups bloom, yellow and bright.

Their petals sway in the gentle breeze,
Whispering secrets to the trees,
Rustling grass beneath their knees,
Soothes their worries, puts them at ease.

The wind carries the blooms' sweet scent,
As they dance and sway, their worries spent,
Lost in nature's wonderment,
Basking in the meadow's calm content.

Sunshine warms, a comforting embrace,
Lying in the meadow's grassy space,
The world transformed, a different place,
Nature's beauty all around, filling every space.

Let the wind blow, the sun shine,
The meadow's wonder, so divine,
Buttercups, a reminder, oh so fine,
Of nature's pure and kind design.

Analysis:

I don't think poets have much to worry about from ChatGPT at this point. I'm not sure it knows the difference in types of poems. Next time I will ask it for a sonnet or a villanelle or something and see what happens.

When I get time, I will take what the AI has spit out and see if I can write a nice free verse poem from it. I see a few nice words in there, but otherwise it's sappy and uninspiring (and the meter's off). This seems like something a 4th grader might write.