AI Wars - Sonnet18 by Shakespeare Bard v ChatGPT4

As a person who loves poetry and as a general thought experiment, I thought it would be fun to take a classic poem and have both ChatGPT4 and Bard analyze the poem. 

The specific prompt I provided included the poem it was:

In 500 or more words, Please evaluate the quality and explain the meaning of Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare which states:

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,

Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,

When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

The response from ChatGPT was:

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, widely regarded as one of his most famous sonnets, is an exquisite composition notable for its profound sentiment and exquisite craftsmanship. An ode to the beloved, it is a masterful exploration of the themes of beauty, transience, and the power of poetry itself as a means of immortalization.

The sonnet begins with a question: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" This sets the tone and the direction of the poem, with the speaker pondering the comparison of his beloved to a bright, beautiful summer's day. However, he immediately retracts, stating that the object of his affection is, in fact, "more lovely and more temperate." This comparison not only elevates the beloved above a summer's day but also implies that beauty has a component of moderation, an equability that a summer's day often lacks.

In the following lines, Shakespeare uses vivid imagery to illustrate the imperfections of a summer's day, and, by inference, the superior qualities of his beloved. He mentions the "rough winds" that "shake the darling buds of May," and how "summer's lease hath all too short a date," referring to the fleeting nature of summer. He observes that sometimes the sun is too hot, and at other times, its golden face is obscured. These lines suggest that the beauty of summer, like all beautiful things in nature, is transient and inconsistent. It is subjected to time, change, and decay.

However, the beloved's beauty is contrasted as constant and unchanging. In the ninth line, "But thy eternal summer shall not fade," the poet asserts that his beloved's beauty, referred to as an "eternal summer," will not lose its bloom nor will death claim it. This notion is further reinforced in the following lines, "Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, / Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade." Here, Shakespeare confidently declares that the beloved's beauty will never fade, and even death cannot boast of having power over it.

The sonnet takes a profound turn in the final couplet, revealing the means by which the beloved's beauty will be immortalized – through the very lines of the poem itself. The speaker states, "So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." He acknowledges that as long as this poem is read, the beauty of the beloved will continue to live on, making the beloved immortal in a symbolic sense.

The clever use of poetic techniques in Sonnet 18 makes it a timeless piece. The meter, the iambic pentameter, adds a rhythm that brings a musical quality to the sonnet, while the rhyme scheme (ababcdcdefefgg) lends a pleasing structure. Furthermore, the sonnet uses personification, metaphor, and vivid imagery to paint a picture of the fleeting beauty of summer contrasted with the timeless beauty of the beloved.

In conclusion, Sonnet 18 is a compelling exploration of the transient nature of beauty, the power of love, and the enduring influence of art. Its strength lies in the poignant depiction of love's capacity to defy time and decay, symbolizing the power of poetry to immortalize beauty. It captures the universal human desire to preserve the ephemeral and to make the transient eternal. Its power and beauty have resonated with readers for centuries, demonstrating the timeless relevance of Shakespeare's genius.

The response from Google’s Bard was:

Sonnet 18 is one of the most famous sonnets ever written. It is a love poem in which the speaker compares his beloved to a summer's day. However, he goes on to say that his beloved is even more lovely and more temperate than a summer's day. He also says that his beloved's beauty will never fade, even though summer's beauty is fleeting.

The sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The first quatrain introduces the speaker's question: should he compare his beloved to a summer's day? The second quatrain lists the ways in which a summer's day is not as lovely or as temperate as his beloved. The third quatrain states that his beloved's beauty will never fade. The couplet explains that his beloved's beauty will live on in his poem, which will be read by people for generations to come.

The sonnet is a beautiful and moving expression of love. It is also a masterful example of Shakespeare's poetic skill. The language is simple and direct, but it is also full of imagery and metaphor. The sonnet is a perfect example of how Shakespeare could use language to create a vivid and memorable picture of his beloved.

The sonnet also has a deeper meaning. It is not just a love poem, but also a meditation on the nature of beauty and time. The speaker's beloved is compared to a summer's day, which is a symbol of beauty and fleetingness. The speaker knows that his beloved's beauty will eventually fade, but he also knows that it will live on in his poem. The sonnet is a reminder that even though beauty is fleeting, it can be preserved through art.

Sonnet 18 is a classic example of Shakespeare's poetic genius. It is a beautiful and moving expression of love, and it also has a deeper meaning about the nature of beauty and time. The sonnet is a timeless work of art that will continue to be read and admired for generations to come.

Here are some additional thoughts on the quality and meaning of Sonnet 18:

• The sonnet is well-crafted and uses a variety of poetic devices to create a vivid and memorable picture of the beloved.
• The sonnet is also emotionally powerful and conveys the speaker's deep love for the beloved.
• The sonnet has a deeper meaning about the nature of beauty and time. It suggests that beauty is fleeting, but it can be preserved through art.
• The sonnet is a classic example of Shakespeare's poetic genius and will continue to be read and admired for generations to come.

Thoughts on the Bard and ChatGPT4 Responses

Both responses are quite good. I do think that Bard’s interpretation is more understandable and is done in a way that doesn’t repeat lines of the poem which I actually prefer. Would Shakespeare approve of this analysis of his poem? I guess, but I”m also pretty sure Shakespeare wouldn’t care how an inanimate object assesses something so full of emotion and passion which sadly neither AI can appreciate.

I put this piece together to consider the implications and ramifications of having AI evaluate writing. Will this impact the publishing industry? Of course it will. It’s very likely that the submission process will be automated to at least some extent through the use of AI. Some excellent works may never see the light of day because of it. That said, it is undeniably more scalable and more likely to result in books and content that sells or does better. 

What do you think? Are you worried about what is coming? Do you think this is positive? If you think it is negative is there anything positive that is going to come from these types of applications of AI? Do you agree that this is going to impact the publishing world or do you think a movement will rise up from within the industry to fight AI in favor of human flaws, subjectiveness, biases, and passions?