Can AI Write Poetry? (Answered with Examples)

Synthesizing and analyzing large amounts of language is one thing, but can AI write poetry?

AI is capable of writing poetry. AI uses computer algorithms to absorb vast storehouses of information and understand patterns within existing poems. It then creates its own original poems using these patterns. AI can write any type of poem.

Some people are skeptical that computers can truly create original, creative writing. If AI is written by programmers, how does it really work? Especially in regards to poetry?

Let’s examine five ways AI can write poetry and read actual examples of AI-written poems.

5 Ways That AI Can Write Poetry

How can AI write poetry? There are at least five ways that AI writers can produce creative work.

1) Machine Learning Intelligence

AI is able to create poetry that makes sense.

There are different ways in which computers generate poetry, but the more advanced forms utilize machine learning algorithms to combine random words and phrases into a cohesive poem structure.

A computer algorithm also uses statistical methods to analyze existing poems and produce new ones.

The algorithm collects thousands of existing poems and scans them for distinct patterns in word usage. For example, the algorithm can take into account what words typically appear together to establish rules on rhyming and meter/length.

The AI then uses these patterns to generate its own original poetry.

2) Availability

AI can write poetry at any time or place. With internet access, computers are able to create poems whenever they’re turned on and connected to the web.

There’s no need for waiting around for inspiration like with traditional poets. If you have a computer with an internet connection, you have a highly intelligent poet at your disposal 24/7.

With the push of a button, the best AI writers can generate hundreds or thousands of words on command.

The longer poem you want, the more times you push the button.

3) Versatility

AI can write poetry that is about anything.

Unlike humans who are limited to topics they’re familiar with and experiences they’ve had first-hand, computers don’t have these restrictions.

While the writing style will vary, AI-generated writing can be about anything from science to sports.

You can also teach AI tools to write in your voice and style. Or, you can ask AI to copy the patterns (not the language) of famous poets like Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Edgar Allen Poe.

4) Simplicity

Most AI poetry is easy and simple for humans to interpret.

Even though the way in which computers create poems may seem ambiguous or nonsensical at times, the actual poems are usually very easy to understand when laid out on paper.

Furthermore, AI can generate a poem based on human ideas and human emotions.

If someone doesn’t understand something in a computer-generated poem, you simply change it or ask the AI writer to generate some new content.

The better guidance you give the AI assistant, the better results you will get.

5) Unbiased

AI poetry is free from human bias or discrimination.

It’s no secret that humans can be discriminatory in their writing and communication.

Whether it’s due to gender, race, or social standing, there are many ways we unintentionally (or intentionally) discriminate against others without even realizing it.

AI poetry is free from such biases since the computer doesn’t hold any of these prejudices.

Can AI Write Any Kind of Poetry? (Table With 20 Types of Poems)

Yes, AI can write any kind of poetry.

Here is a table showcasing 18 kinds of poetry that AI can write:

Type of PoemCan AI Write It?
Short poemYes
Long poemYes
Blank verseYes
Free verseYes
RhymingYes
HaikuYes
SonnetYes
NarrativeYes
Lyric Yes
PastoralYes
VillanelleYes
EpicYes
OdeYes
BalladYes
SonnetYes
LimerickYes
SoliloquyYes
Different languageYes
Can AI write poetry?

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list.

To be clear, AI can write any kind of poetry that a human can write (or will write in the future). AI can learn, absorb, and reflect the poetic style of any poet, dead or alive.

AI can also write short stories, novels, screenplays, blogs, and more.

Can AI Write Good Poetry?

The fact that AI can write poetry doesn’t mean the poems are any good.

Can AI write good poetry?

Yes, AI can write good poetry. Good, of course, is subjective. What I mean by “good” is a poem that makes sense, and that uses vivid, well-structured language.

Poetry is one of those art forms that is inherently human. It rises and falls on raw, unfiltered emotion. The nakedness of poetry is what makes a poem more than a meaningless jumble of words on a page.

In my experience, AI can write poetry better than most humans. Really good poets probably still outwrite even the best AI tools.

That’s not going to change any time soon.

However, AI is quickly advancing and will eventually surpass even the greatest poets.

Examples of AI Written Poetry

The quality of poetry AI writes is partly determined by what instructions and guidance you give it.

Here are three AI poetry examples generated by Jasper (formally known as Jarvis), my personal favorite AI writer. I hope they show you the power of this kind of technology.

The first poem example:

The Muse

Lost, I search today.
I’m searching for my inspiration.
Yesterday she was there to greet me,
but then she disappeared in the cold of night.

Empty poems are all I have left behind;
they had her last name but not her face.
Today I’m looking for my muse—
my sweet, lost spark.

And though I call out for her in this cold,
I haven’t found my inspiration yet.
But I’ve been looking all day long—
my muse’s somewhere out there on the run.

Though it seems that my search is in vain,
I’ll keep looking, searching, hoping.

Here is another example poem written by AI:

Ghost Letter

The invisible hand
lifts the pen,
ink pressed against foul paper,
scribbling, scribbling,
to you, it writes.

As if words were his to give.
Started with a raspy breath of words,
a whisper of something unheard.

A silent ghost letter scrawled by lost memories,
Feathered into tight knots of nonsensical truth.

This third example poem is inspired by Robert Frost’s, “Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Weekend.” This is the same incident from the horse’s perspective:

Riding by Woods On a Snowy Evening

I know these woods.
I recognize the trees.

But my rider does not look around,
Does not see me standing still

As I watch him fall asleep.
He will wake up and wonder if we should go,
Find that he is far from home.

The snow has covered everything but us,
And it grows colder as we wait.

This is the fourth and final example:

Rain

Rain softly plinks against the windows,
falling, falling, falling.

It’s warm inside, but the world is wet outside,
sharp smells of mulch and fallen leaves,
a sharp smell of rain not yet dried.

When it falls on tree branches,
it echoes the soft sound of tears that were shed long ago.

Here is a video of a live demo where I show how to write a one-stanza poem with AI in under 3 minutes:

Video by Writing Secrets via YouTube—Can AI write poetry?

Can I Publish AI-Written Poetry?

Yes, you can publish computer-generated poetry.

Poetry written by AI is 100% original and plagiarism-free. Good AI writers are basically ghostwriters for you.

You can publish poems you generate with AI under your own name, get writing credits, and even earn money from them.

I know because I have personally tested AI poetry against a paid plagiarism checker, published the poem, and earned residual income for over a month.

Publishing AI poetry is not a copyright violation. There are no legal issues at all.

You could publish and earn money from entire books of poems written by AI.

Final Thoughts

AI poetry, computer-generated poetry, algorithmic poetry, robot poetry—whatever you call it, artificial intelligence can definitely write it.

Just keep in mind that you will still need to guide, train, and edit any AI writer.

Further Reading:

Sources

Copyright.gov
OpenAI.com
SpringerLink