Freedom from the Storm

Ljóðaháttr poem

Freedom from the Storm

Long have I weathered the storm of the mad,

their cycles of fire and frost unending,

their moods like the tides, relentless and cruel.

She wails of shadows, her soul full of sorrow,

yet my bones know her cry is the wind’s lie.

No knife will follow her worded threats.

Her tongue binds me in twisted webs,

accusing my heart of hardness and cold.

“Support me!” she howls, “or be shamed as unworthy!”

But I see her true face, the mirror’s deceit:

She seeks not a bond, but a chalice to drink,

to drain me dry ’til her own cup is full.

Her path, I know, like the wolf’s howling course:

From sorrow to fury, from fury to peace,

if peace can find her, like dew upon stone.

Yet sorrow and rage, low drums in her heart,

are traps for the soul, and I will not follow—

her river runs black, and it pulls to the deep.

Cunning was I, and called forth her storm.

Why wrestle her sorrow when anger is swifter?

The warpath suits her far better than wailing;

her venom finds others to sting when enraged.

A word, well-placed, like a spark in dry grass,

sends her raging, and frees me at last.

Now she seeks others to bear her lament,

a new hearth to poison, a new ear to twist.

My spirit is mine, unbound and unbroken,

my strength too great for her snares to hold.

Laughing, I watch her wrath fade to the distance;

her shadow no longer darkens my door.

I asked chatGPT: 

“Was this written by a Human or by an AI?” 

ChatGPT said:

The poem Freedom from the Storm has qualities that suggest it could be either human- or AI-written, but it leans more towards being created by a human. Here are some factors to consider:

1. Creativity and Imagery: The poem exhibits a rich use of metaphor and imagery, with phrases like “her river runs black, and it pulls to the deep” and “a word, well-placed, like a spark in dry grass” showcasing a strong poetic voice. While AI can produce sophisticated imagery, it often lacks the depth and nuanced resonance seen in human writing.

2. Emotional Depth and Complexity: The poem captures a complex emotional narrative, dealing with themes of struggle, betrayal, and liberation. It conveys a sense of personal experience and introspection, which is harder for AI to replicate convincingly without specific prompts or training on similar themes.

3. Language and Style: The language used is sophisticated and poetic, employing both traditional and somewhat archaic forms (”’til” instead of “until”) that suggest an author familiar with older poetic forms, such as the Ljóðaháttr, a traditional Norse verse form. This might point towards human authorship, as AI-generated content might sometimes use archaic language in a way that feels more artificial or inconsistent.

4. Coherence and Structure: The poem has a well-defined structure and maintains a consistent thematic flow. AI-generated poetry, while sometimes coherent, often lacks the nuanced progression of thought and thematic resolution that is apparent here.

However, with recent advancements in AI technology, it is possible for an AI to create poems that are very convincing and sophisticated. If this poem were generated by AI, it would likely be the result of specific programming with a focus on advanced poetic style and themes.

Conclusion: While it is possible for an AI to produce such a piece, the depth, thematic complexity, and use of specific poetic forms strongly suggest that this poem was likely written by a human poet.