ChatGPT prompt: Write a haiku about Duluth
Duluth by the shore
The waves crash and the gulls cry
Nature’s symphony
ChatGPT prompt: Write a poem in the style of e.e. cummings about winter in Duluth
in the silence of winter,
duluth sleeps,
wrapped in a blanket of snow.
the trees stand tall and proud,
their branches heavy with ice,
sparkling like diamonds in the moonlight.
the air is crisp and cold,
invigorating and refreshing,
a reminder of the power of nature.
and as i wander the streets,
i am struck by the beauty
of this city in winter.
the snow crunches beneath my feet,
and the world seems hushed and still,
as if holding its breath in anticipation
of the wonders yet to come.
ChatGPT Prompt: Write a limerick about Duluth
There once was a city called Duluth
Whose residents were quite uncouth
They liked to fish and to hunt
And they always had a good front
For facing the cold and the truth.
ChatGPT Prompt: Write a rhyming poem about Duluth neighborhoods
The neighborhoods of Duluth
Are quite a sight to behold
From East Hillside to West End
Each with its own charm to lend
In Lincoln Park you’ll find
A tight-knit community kind
Where neighbors all know each other
And help one another
In Congdon Park you’ll see
Beautiful homes and gardens, aplenty
With tree-lined streets and stately homes
It’s a peaceful place to roam
In Piedmont Heights you’ll discover
A diverse and vibrant culture
With a mix of old and new
It’s a neighborhood that’s truly true
In Duluth, each neighborhood
Has its own special mood
From the busy and bustling
To the quiet and trusting
There’s something for everyone
In the neighborhoods of Duluth.
ChatGPT Prompt: Write a poem about Bob Dylan and Duluth
Bob Dylan, a son of Duluth,
A legend of music and poetry.
His words have moved and inspired,
And his voice has echoed across the world.
He grew up in the streets of Duluth,
A young boy with a passion for music and words.
He listened to the blues and the folk songs,
And he began to dream of a life on the stage.
And as he grew, he honed his craft,
Playing in the clubs and the coffee houses,
Singing his songs of love and loss,
And inspiring others with his words.
He left Duluth behind, but it never left him,
And he still carries the city with him,
In his music and his poetry,
In the stories he tells and the songs he sings.
Bob Dylan, a son of Duluth,
A legend of music and poetry,
A shining light in the world of art,
A testament to the city that raised him.
ChatGPT Prompt: Write an ekphrastic [a poem that describes a work of art] about Duluth
As I stand before the painting, I am struck
By the vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes.
The canvas depicts the city of Duluth,
Rising up from the banks of Lake Superior.
In the foreground, the Aerial Lift Bridge looms,
A shining beacon of steel and cables.
It spans the great divide, linking the two shores,
And inviting the viewer to explore.
Behind the bridge, the city stretches out,
A mix of old and new, of tradition and progress.
Buildings of all shapes and sizes rise up,
Topped with gleaming towers and glinting windows.
The sky above is a deep and vivid blue,
As if the artist had mixed the colors with care.
And in the distance, the lake sparkles and shimmers,
A mirror reflecting the beauty of Duluth.
As I study the painting, I feel a sense of wonder
At the skill of the artist and the beauty of the city.
I am transported to Duluth, if only for a moment,
And I am grateful for the experience.
ChatGPT Prompt: Write a poem about a Perfect Duluth Day
On a perfect Duluth day
The sky is clear and blue
The air is crisp and fresh
And the sun is shining through
The leaves are turning colors
Of red and gold and brown
As the autumn breeze blows through
And rustles the trees around
The harbor sparkles in the light
As boats pass to and fro
And people stroll along the shore
Taking in the scenery and the show
In the distance, the hills rise up
Tall and majestic and grand
A reminder of the beauty
That can be found in this land
On a perfect Duluth day
There’s nowhere else I’d rather be
Than here, in this wonderful place
Taking it all in, so happily.
4 thoughts on “Seven AI-generated poems about Duluth, written by ChatGPT and illustrated by Dall-e 2”
Nice work on the prompts! Pretty fun in a mediocre poetry kind of way–“Whose residents were quite uncouth”! Bob’s looking a little more buttoned up than I would imagine.
It’s reassuring to know that AI, as pertains to writing, is incapable of composing anything but cliches.
The program does seem designed to create an output that is the most direct expression of the general average of its inputs, which might not be the best approach for writing great poetry.
Also, no matter the prompt, the algorithm seems to be programmed to end every poem with a positive affirmation, which makes me wonder which sets of poetry the program is drawing from.
While I don’t see works by ChatGPT taking over the poetry journals anytime soon, I will say that I was more than once pleasantly surprised by the specificity of some of the lines and how they fit into a larger structure. However it works, it doesn’t seem to be just inserting the word Duluth into a template.
But I suppose the best way to see how far it still has to go in doing something like creating a poem about winter in the style of E.E. Cummings might be through a comparison of what it produced with an actual E.E. Cummings poem that references winter:
XIX
i will cultivate within
me scrupulously the Inimitable which
is loneliness, these unique dreams
never shall soil their raiment
with phenomena: such
being a conduct worthy of
more ponderous
wishes or
hopes less
tall than mine” (opening the windows)
“and there is a philosophy” strictly at
which instant(leaped
into the
street)this deep immediate mask and
expressing “as for myself, because i
am slender and fragile
i borrow contact from that you and from
this you sensations, imitating a few fatally
exquisite”(pulling Its shawl carefully around
it)”things i mean the
Rain is no respecter of persons
the snow doesn’t give a soft white
damn Whom it touches
Huh