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?!

To clarify the AI message backed up the age range as most likely high school level due to various aspects of the writing. It wasn’t just a straightforward ‘age 18’ remark

So? How does that make the poetry any better or worse? It’s not like AI said it was written by a 5 year old. And even then, what does AI know, it’s not a human. I think you’d have been better off in this thread just saying you don’t like his poetry rather than including ChatGPT’s “opinion”. Art is subjective anyway. How about Edward Lear:

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”

Or this Ogden Nash poem:

The Bronx?
No, thonx!

@Wingwalk you’ve lost me

I don't think you should be the one giving him advice on publishing his work given that you think it's crap. That's not a criticism, it's OK not to be into poetry, or to be in to it but not like his, but being fake supportive is not going to last.

There's a hell of a lot of good guys in between high flying professionals and the disillusioned unemployed!

The poems would have me cringing myself inside out.

Here's a limerick you can send him in response.

I used to fancy high flyers with drive,
The sort who could genuinely thrive.
But you jobless old poet
Made me instantly know it,
This relationship will not survive!

You said 18-25, how is that "high school"?

TBF John Keats was young when he wrote his not bad poems.

He's not your type.
You tried, but he's not doing it for you

Poetry doesn't have an age attached, to be good poetry either.

”I think it’s unlikely though that he is the next Keats”

Keats was extraordinary!!

I’m just picturing Peep Show’s Jeremy in history phase-

Fuck you, Bush.
It's time to get out of Iraq, Bush.
What were you even doing there in the first place, Bush?
You didn't even get properly elected, Bush.
Are you happy now, Bush?
Fuck you, Bush.

I think you should be happy he is happy, and if you aren't it is probably reflective that you just aren't that into him. Which is ok.

Poetry is supposed to be emotional. AI doesn't have emotions it's just data and code.

@Wingwalk do you not use ChatGPT? It gave an age range and the concluded it would put it at the lower end as it had parts that reflected a ‘high school’ piece. It then explained why ie lack of imagery etc

And so young when he wrote his greatest poems!!

@JellIa 😂😂 he introduces the title first with no real tone ‘fuck you bush.’ Then with gusto, the first line ‘fuck you bush!’

No not really, and I definitely wouldn't use it to tell me if art was good or not.

Are you not able to form your own opinion?

Do you need AI to do your thinking for you?

Sounds a bit "high school" to me 🤷‍♀️

imagery good
lack of imagery bad

OP genuine question, if Chat GPT had told you it was really good, the lack of imagery was a post-modern triumph, and it was probably written by someone aged 45-50, would you like him more?

That does sound awful!! 🤣

I think putting the poetry on chatGPT is pretty immature.

Completely and utterly pathetic to ask ChatGPT for an opinion on whether a poem is good or not. Honestly I'd dump you for your lack of critical thinking skills.

How does he support himself? What's his living situation? That sort of thing is more important than cringing at bad poetry.

It wouldn't occur to me to use AI for something like that, no. AI, by definition, has no concept of anything artistic.

You know some of the most famous poets wrote their best work in that age range of 18-25? So even if chatGPT is correct, it is absolutely meaningless as with age doesn’t come better writing.

John Keats died age 25
Sylvia Plath 30
Robert Burns 37
Percy Shelley 29
Wilfred Owen 25
Philis Wheatley 31
Emily Bronte 30

I do not know why you posted this. It seems that you might not like this man very much.

It suggests his literary skills might be a bit immature but surely you would know that without needing to use Chatgpt - unless your own are also similarly immature? Your unnecessary use of generative AI to analyse someone's poetry does suggest that, honestly.

Not everyone is literary and that's fine. Break it off, he's much better off without you.