Another chat with ChatGPT.<\/p>\r\n
This time, I asked it for a one-stanza parody of \u201cThe Raven.\u201d It replied:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\r\nOnce upon a midnight dreary,<\/p>\r\n
As I pondered, weak and weary,<\/p>\r\n
There came a knock upon my door,<\/p>\r\n
From a creature, small and poor,<\/p>\r\n
Who begged for just a little more<\/p>\r\n
Of the bread and cheese I had.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
Which reminded me that although GPT can do a surprisingly good job of rhyming, it is not good at poetic meter. After some inconclusive discussion of meter, I decided to ask it specifically for an example of a particular meter.<\/p>\r\n
\r\nMe<\/b>: Can you create an example of a line of dactylic hexameter?<\/p>\r\n
GPT<\/b>: Sure! Dactylic hexameter is a metrical pattern used in classical poetry, in which each line consists of six metrical feet, with each foot containing one long syllable followed by two short syllables (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM). Here is an example of a line of dactylic hexameter:<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
\"The brave and mighty warrior stood, his sword ablaze with fire\"<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
In this line, each of the six feet is a dactyl (long-short-short), and the line follows the dactylic hexameter pattern. The long syllables are indicated by capital letters, and the short syllables are indicated by lowercase letters.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
In case it\u2019s not obvious, there are a few things wrong with that answer:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n
- Although \u201cone long syllable followed by two short syllables\u201d is a reasonable description of a dactyl (it would be better to say stressed<\/i> and unstressed<\/i> syllables, but long<\/i> and short<\/i> are close enough, I\u2019d say), the immediately following description \u201cda-DUM da-DUM da-DUM\u201d is not dactylic at all. In that notation, a dactyl would go DUM-da-da. For example, the word excellent<\/i> is a dactyl.<\/li>\r\n
- The example line that it provides is neither dactylic nor hexameter. I would call it iambic heptameter\u2014it\u2019s more or less seven iambs. The word warrior<\/i> would normally be a dactyl, but in a line that otherwise consists of iambs, I would expect it to be pronounced more or less as two syllables: WAR-yurr.<\/li>\r\n
- The statement about capital letters and lowercase letters is just false\u2014the line it provided doesn\u2019t use letter case that way.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n