[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

I sent a digital Christmas card to my nearest and dearest with this photo:



and this explication:

My Xmas deco. The female mouse on the left (Milliemus) was bought by Ann on Fanø about 25 years ago, and the male mouse on the right (Phillimus) was bought by me in Dunkeld 11 years ago. In case you're wondering whose feet are where, Philli has borrowed one of Millie's socks.


My cousin, Steve, sent me this sonnet about my Xmas deco:

Two mice at Christmas, Milliemus and Phillimus,
One from Fano, the other from Dunkeld.
Two different lives, yet both so curious,
Their spirits both merry, their stories to be told.

Milliemus, a mouse of 25 years old,
Her coat as soft as snow, her eyes so bright.
She scurries about, her tail ever bold,
Her joyous spirit a delight.

Phillimus, a mouse of just 11 years,
His fur a shade of brown, his nose so keen.
He roams the halls with all his fears
But still manages to be seen.

Together, these two mice are a sight to behold,
Their friendship a bond that cannot be sold.
At Christmas time, they both come alive,
A celebration of love, joy, and life.


I assumed, of course, that he'd written it and told him he was very sweet. He replied thus:

"I wish I could take credit for it. The problem is, as you know, my understanding of sonnet structure is dire! Ben is here and we created it by adding the key words to an artificial intelligence engine he is beta testing. Would you believe a computer can come up with something like that…"

Duncan

[Matt Q]

It's hard to know why your cousin wants to call this a sonnet, given its length. Then again, I guess he does say his knowledge of them is lacking.

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

My answer to Matt is redundant inasmuch as Matt has now edited his post.

Duncan

[Matt Q]

Looks like I was editing it as you were replying.

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

I see, Matt. No worries.

Duncan

[W T Clark]

AI still can't write poetry, which is nice to see. This one clearly hasn't risen above cliché, nor has it been programmed with an understanding of metre (maybe that is harder to program than rhyme).
It's interesting. AI, at present, seem unable to move beyond a couple paragraphs of coherent narrative. I have a friend who thinks eventualy ai will write poetry that is convincingly great and human. It's ironic a little because he never reads, nor cares much about, poetry.
I think therefore iamb.