ChatGPT and Poetic Mechanics

This assignment, by Tristan B Taylor, is from the TextGenEd: Continuing Experiments collection on the WAC Clearinghouse website.

The summary from the site explains:

This two-part activity asks students to interrogate assumptions about poetry, broadly construed, based on their preconceived notions and prior knowledge of poetry. In the first part of the activity and assessment, students are presented with a poem composed by generative AI and asked to define how the text is a poem . . . . In the second part of the activity at the end of the term, students are presented with the same poem and asked to discuss the poetic mechanisms employed by the generative AI.

Key Features of This Assignment

AI-Assisted Poetic Generation
Students explore different poetic forms and structures using AI-generated poetry.
Analysis of Poetic Techniques
Students examine how AI can identify and experiment with elements such as rhyme, meter, and figurative language, fostering deeper engagement with poetic mechanics.
Iterative Refinement of Poetry
Students refine AI-generated verses, using the tool as a starting point for creative revision and critical analysis.