I’ve just been playing around with ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence app which writes pretty much whatever you ask it. I’ve had it create a 3 day poetry festival event management plan, and a draft program, a marketing and advertising plan, a list of 10 Australian Poetry Societies and organisations and more.
I decided to get it to do more complex tasks and ended up with the following two questions and associated answers. :
Create a list of topics to cover in a 2 hour workshop on poetry performance
Create a list of topics to cover in a 2 hour workshop about “Writing from Personal Experience”
Next I wanted to see if it could research and “write 1000 word essay about the history of surrealism poetry” and sure enough right before my very eyes it began to write the following 1000 word essay. The following 1000 words were created at https://chat.openai.com/chat by asking the following question.
Surrealism is a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the early 20th century. It is characterised by a focus on the subconscious, the irrational, and the fantastical, and is known for its use of symbolism, metaphor, and other literary devices to create a sense of disorientation and dreamlike imagery. In poetry, surrealism is known for its use of free association, symbolism, and a disregard for traditional forms, syntax and grammar.
The origins of surrealism can be traced back to the early 20th century, with the publication of the French poet André Breton’s “Surrealism and Painting” in 1924. In this book, Breton defined surrealism as “pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought.” This definition was a rejection of traditional forms of poetry and art, which Breton felt were too limited in their ability to express the full range of human experience.
One of the key figures in the early days of surrealism was the poet and artist Guillaume Apollinaire. Apollinaire was a major influence on the development of surrealism, and his work was characterised by its use of free association, symbolism, and a disregard for traditional forms. His poem “The Joy of Life” is considered to be one of the earliest examples of surrealist poetry.
Another key figure in the early days of surrealism was the poet Paul Eluard. Eluard’s poetry is characterised by its use of symbolism and metaphor, and its focus on the subconscious and the irrational. He is considered to be one of the most important poets of the surrealist movement, and his work continues to be widely read and studied today.
The first official Surrealist group was founded in Paris in 1924, led by André Breton. The group was composed of poets, artists, and intellectuals who shared a common interest in the subconscious, the irrational, and the fantastical. The group held regular meetings and exhibitions, and their work was characterised by its use of free association, symbolism, and a disregard for traditional forms.
Surrealism quickly spread beyond France and became a global movement, with groups forming in countries such as Belgium, Spain, and the United States. In the United States, the poet and artist Wallace Stevens is considered to be one of the major figures of the American Surrealist movement. His poetry is characterised by its use of symbolism, metaphor, and a disregard for traditional forms, and it continues to be widely read and studied today.
Surrealism had a profound impact on the world of poetry, and it continues to be a major influence on poets today. The focus on the subconscious, the irrational, and the fantastical has led to a renewed interest in the power of symbolism and metaphor in poetry, and many poets continue to explore these themes in their work. The use of free association, symbolism, and a disregard for traditional forms has also led to a renewed interest in experimental forms of poetry, such as concrete poetry and visual poetry.
In conclusion, Surrealism poetry is a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the early 20th century characterised by a focus on the subconscious, the irrational, and the fantastical, and is known for its use of symbolism, metaphor, and other literary devices to create a sense of disorientation and dreamlike imagery. The movement was led by André Breton in France, and quickly spread globally to have a profound impact on the world of poetry, influencing poets and artists to this day. With its disregard for traditional forms and syntax, it has led to a renewed interest in experimental forms of poetry.
Now for the bit that you are waiting for: Actual Surrealism poetry. Last week I wrote a bit about a psychedelic cow and I think thats about the most surreal thing that I’ve written recently.
She was a cow
In the here and now
Ate a lot of grass
Let it pass out her ass
Every day she ruminated
As she was so fated
She’d walk to the shed
Milked, and fed
But her world went BOOM
One day when she found and ate a mushroom
Became a psychedelic cow
Didn’t understand how
Life became so great
She began to create
Cow poetry, and art
Continued to fart
And belch methane
But inside her brain
We’re so many thoughts
Like, “why don’t cows play ball sports?”
A psychedelic cow
Had horns on her brow
Loved to surf
Farmed her own turf
Enslaved the farmer
For a Hindu cow… Karma
Made him work the field
To increase the turf yeild
And also pull the plough
The psychedelic Hindu turf farm owning cow
An interesting cow
Sat on a tree bough
Thinking, “I’m woke”
“Just one more toke
Of this DMT
Experienced oneness and extasy
And the Source of creation
All is mind and vibration
As above, so below
On all cows, farmers and farms, the winds blow
She was a cow
Fell in love with a sow
Their love crossed species
They have different faeces
Eat different food
They can’t have a brood
But they’re great friends
Cow and Pig lesbians
Who both love to fart
Plus eat mushrooms and create art.
Somehow I manage to keep up my writing of poetry regardless of the fact that I am running the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame full time. This includes my weekly “Chillin’ Tuesday Poetcast” and Wednesday Words Open Mic where new poets are always welcome. See the the YouTube channel for the Australian poetry Hall of Fame.
We are currently experiencing Guyra’s Lamb and Potato Festival for 2023 and every day I am also doing a poetry show at 2pm.
Thundercloud Repairian 