Would you be able to move past this?

[Beeenalsvwe]

recently started dating after a few years off. Usually go for professionals in high flying careers but this time I really felt something for a writer/poet. He has no money (not really a factor for me as I have my own money and not looking to combine finances with anyone anyway). He’s lovely in lots of ways and I fancy him. But.. his poetry isn’t good. Some of it is ok. But it’s definitely not (in my opinion) as good as he thinks, by a long way.

He will send them to me and say ‘this is a nice poem I wrote’ or ‘this was a good one.’ They’re not terrible but he’s thinking of trying to get them published and I put one into ChatGPT and they said it was written by someone the age of 18-25. He’s 49.

I don’t know if this is ridiculous and I should just be happy he’s happy writing. I think it’s the delusion I struggle with. And this idea he’s really good when I’m really not sure that’s the case.

How would you feel?!

Does he have a job?

“I put one into ChatGPT and they said it was written by someone the age of 18-25. He’s 49.”

John Keats is widely considered one of the greatest poets in the English language. He died age 25.

How does a 24yo write poetry differently to a 26yo. How odd of AI!

Is that his job or his hobby?

No, I'd cringe out and have to bounce.

@kxeil yes true but this person is almost 50

No, it's making me cringe just thinking about it.

If he’s unemployed that would be the dealbreaker for me.

What he did as a hobby wouldn’t bother me.

@Lifejigsaw it gave an age range it expected the writer to be

He sells paintings (not his own). But some months doesn’t even break even

To be honest I would be pretty pissed off on his behalf that you put one of his poems into ChatGPT.

Your opinion is just that. Maybe they are a little too intellectual for you..?

Whatever if he isn’t floating your boat move on. You can for any reason.

Does he have an actual job though?

He probably wouldn't be overjoyed that you fed his work into a big machine that steals artists' work.

and how odd to think that if AI told you it was written by someone older you'd somehow think that was better. How old do you think Wilfred Owen etc were during WW1. Shakespeare was in his 20s when he started composing the sonnets.
Tbh the fact that it even occurred to you to put his poem into AI in order to be told whether it was good or not says you're hopelessly badly matched.

Jesus. Don’t listen to an AI app

I’d be cringing! He sounds like David Brent🤣

Just because he's older doesn't mean his poetry should get better.

Keats was a poetic genius by the time he died.

Please don't put a writers work into chat gpt, ai is scraping intellectual property and many writers are mightily opposed to this. Has he been submitting his poems to journals? That is one way of finding out if they are any good. I have found (from experience) that middle aged, male poets can be quite arrogant about their work and many don't take criticism well. If I were you, I would encourage him to send his work out there, it's the only way you will know if it has any merit. There are a wide range of literary journals with differing styles to target.

I think you have failed to understand the point @kxeil was making.

You seem to think that AI telling you the poem was written by a younger person than it was means it's bad somehow.

@kxeil was giving an example of a younger person who wrote amazing poetry.

Ergo, AI doesn't "know" anything of art, and the age of a poet is as irrelevant to its merit as the height of the person who bakes a pie is to its taste.

Creative writing is a personal thing. If he thinks it's good and is pleased with it, and is brave enough to share it with others, then fair enough on him. And if you don't like it (and don't like him enough to get past him being proud of his work) then that's also fine. But it feels a little bit like you look down on him somewhat anyway, so I'd say it's time to let him go.

@TheGoodEnoughWife yes I did feel a bit bad about it. He’d sent me a lot by then though.

I agree it could be that I am intellectually challenged and not getting it.

An underemployed bad poet wouldn't be for me. Especially if he expected me to read his poetry and comment.

@Wingwalk no I understood the point that the poetry could still be good. I think it’s unlikely though that he is the next Keats and therefore think his age is relevant

@Sorehandsandfeet thanks. Which literary journal would you recommend?

It wouldn’t bother me.

It sounds like an arty boyfriend isn’t for you.

That doesn't make any sense. Why did you tell us all that ChatGPT thought his poetry was written by a younger person?