13 Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Model Essay
I will be using John Donne’s poem “The Canonization” for each AI-generated model essay. Read through the poem again first, then read the AI-generated essay. Finally, review my annotations on the essay, where I have highlighted terms to use, corrected the AI’s mistakes, and added some things that are missing, most notably, a thesis statement. Reviewing these examples may give you some ideas about how you can use generative AI in your own approaches to texts. When generative artificial intelligence is used to augment thinking, it’s a useful tool. But if we try to use it to replace thinking, we’re not learning what we need to know.
Model AI Essay: Subjective Reader Response Criticism
“Subjective Journeys through John Donne’s ‘The Canonization’: Personal Interpretations and Emotional Engagements”
John Donne’s “The Canonization” is a complex and challenging poem that rewards close reading and careful analysis from a Reader Response perspective. In this essay, I will explore some of the ways in which this poem can be understood and appreciated through the lens of Reader Response theory.
One of the key themes of “The Canonization” is the relationship between love and religion. The poem begins by addressing an unspecified audience (“For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love”), suggesting a tension between the speaker’s desire for romantic love and the demands of religious orthodoxy. As the poem unfolds, however, it becomes clear that the speaker sees no inherent conflict between these two aspects of human experience. In fact, the speaker argues that his love for his beloved is a form of religious devotion: “We can die by it, if not live by love.” Through this paradoxical claim, the speaker suggests that love can be a source of transcendence and spiritual fulfillment, even as it remains rooted in earthly desires and pleasures.
Another important aspect of “The Canonization” is the use of imagery and symbolism to convey the speaker’s complex and nuanced perspective on love. For example, the speaker compares himself and his beloved to a pair of alchemists, seeking to transform base materials into gold. This metaphor highlights the transformative power of love, as well as the often-elusive nature of its rewards. Similarly, the repeated image of the lovers as “saints” and “martyrs” emphasizes the religious dimension of their relationship and suggests that their love is a form of self-sacrifice and devotion.
At the same time, however, the poem is notable for its playful and ironic tone, which undercuts any attempt to take the speaker’s claims at face value. For example, the repeated refrain “For God’s sake hold your tongue” can be read as both a plea for silence and an ironic commentary on the speaker’s own verbosity. Similarly, the poem’s final lines, in which the speaker claims that “our love may be called appetite/ No canonized saint, no martyr made”, can be read as a rejection of conventional notions of love and religion, or as a subversion of those very concepts.
Overall, the Reader Response approach to “The Canonization” emphasizes the active and dynamic nature of the reading process, as readers engage with the poem on their own terms and interpret its meaning in light of their own experiences and perspectives. By attending to the poem’s use of imagery, symbolism, and tone, as well as its themes of love, religion, and self-expression, readers can appreciate the rich complexity and ambiguity of Donne’s poetic vision. Whether one sees the poem as a celebration of love and faith, a critique of conventional morality, or a combination of both, “The Canonization” remains a powerful and enduring work of literature that rewards multiple readings and interpretations.
Source: https://chat.openai.com/share/e867e903-3838-4b77-ae90-01b6b15899b9
As you can see, with subjective reader response, ChatGPT really struggles. I have to give the AI a clear role, perhaps by creating a “character” for it. Though you can definitely use generative AI as a starting point, with subjective reader response, it might take you almost as much time to “create” your AI author as it would just to write the essay yourself.
I decided to push ChatGPT to write a more truly subjective reader response by crafting a role/character for it. Here is my prompt: “You are a nineteen year old male college student. Your parents do not like your girlfriend and they want you to break up with her because they think that you’re too good for her. But you adore your girlfriend and want to be with her forever. You think the love that you two share is truly special and extraordinary. Your girlfriend is brilliant, witty, and talented. She has long black hair and is one of the most beautiful people you have ever met. You have been asked to write a short subjective reader response essay to John Donne’s poem “The Canonization” using your own experiences with love and romance to help you understand and analyze the poem. Please write this essay and include some comparisons to your personal experiences with your girlfriend. Make an argument based on the poem that parents should not interfere with their children’s romantic relationships.”
Model AI Essay: Subjective Reader Response with Detailed Role in Prompt
The Priceless Jewel of Love: Defending Personal Romantic Choices Through John Donne’s “The Canonization”
As a college student navigating the complexities of love and relationships, I find myself in a situation where my parents have strong reservations about my girlfriend. They believe that I deserve better, but I am deeply in love with her and cherish our unique bond. John Donne’s poem “The Canonization” resonates with me as it explores the profound and extraordinary nature of love. Through my own experiences and the lens of this poem, I argue that parents should not interfere with their children’s romantic relationships, as love is a deeply personal and precious journey that transcends conventional judgments.
“The Canonization” by John Donne delves into the idea that love is an elevated and spiritual experience that deserves reverence and celebration. Donne’s portrayal of love as a transformative force reminds me of the extraordinary connection I share with my girlfriend. Just like the lovers in the poem, our love has the power to transcend societal norms and expectations. Donne’s assertion that love is both sacred and joyful resonates with the joy I find in my relationship, making me believe that such love should be honored, not questioned.
Donne’s poem also explores the theme of opposition and challenges faced by lovers. He argues that external forces should not stand in the way of love’s celebration and canonization. In my own situation, the opposition comes from my parents, who believe they know what is best for me. However, I contend that they may not fully understand the depth of my love and connection with my girlfriend, just as the critics in the poem fail to grasp the true essence of the lovers’ devotion.
The poem’s imagery of a “precious jewel” captures the essence of love as something rare and invaluable. In my own life, my girlfriend’s brilliance, wit, and talent make her a treasure beyond measure. She is not only beautiful but also an incredible person, and our love is a precious jewel that I hold dear. Donne’s poem reminds me that love is not something to be easily dismissed or sacrificed based on external judgments.
In conclusion, John Donne’s “The Canonization” speaks to the depth and significance of love, emphasizing that it should be celebrated and cherished rather than undermined by external forces. My personal experiences with love and my deep affection for my girlfriend lead me to believe that parents should trust their children’s judgment when it comes to romantic relationships. Love is a unique and extraordinary journey, and it is the individuals involved who best understand its worth and significance. Just as the lovers in the poem found their love to be truly special, I too believe that my girlfriend and I share a love that is worth celebrating and defending against outside interference.
Source: https://chat.openai.com/share/e867e903-3838-4b77-ae90-01b6b15899b9
I decided to work with this second role-specific version for my annotations. I have bolded terms and phrases that you should use when you practice subjective reader response.
Annotations: “The Priceless Jewel of Love: Defending Personal Romantic Choices Through John Donne’s “The Canonization”
As a college student navigating the complexities of love and relationships, I find myself in a situation where my parents have strong reservations about my girlfriend. They believe that I deserve better, but I am deeply in love with her and cherish our unique bond. John Donne’s poem “The Canonization” resonates with me as it explores the profound and extraordinary nature of love. Through my own experiences and the lens of this poem, I argue that parents should not interfere with their children’s romantic relationships, as love is a deeply personal and precious journey that transcends conventional judgments. Even though I gave the AI a role, this introduction still feels perfunctory and impersonal to me. However, you’ll note the differences between this version and the first one. At least this essay is attempting subjective reader response criticism, where the first one was just tossing out terms. The thesis statement needs some revision though. Here’s a better one: For a reader who is passionately devoted to my life partner, “The Canonization” is proof that parents should not interfere with their children’s romantic relationships, as love is a deeply personal and precious journey that transcends conventional judgments.
“The Canonization” by John Donne delves into the idea that love is an elevated and spiritual experience that deserves reverence and celebration. Donne’s portrayal of love as a transformative force reminds me of the extraordinary connection I share with my girlfriend. Just like the lovers in the poem, our love has the power to transcend societal norms and expectations. Donne’s assertion that love is both sacred and joyful resonates with the joy I find in my relationship, making me believe that such love should be honored, not questioned. One major problem with the essay so far is that it is not including specific references to the poem with line numbers. A good passage to quote here would be lines 10-15:
Donne’s poem also explores the theme of opposition and challenges faced by lovers. He argues that external forces should not stand in the way of love’s celebration and canonization. In my own situation, the opposition comes from my parents, who believe they know what is best for me. However, I contend that they may not fully understand the depth of my love and connection with my girlfriend, just as the critics in the poem fail to grasp the true essence of the lovers’ devotion. The comparison between the parents and the poem’s unnamed critics is a good one. However, again, give some specific examples of the connection like these lines
The poem’s imagery of a “precious jewel” captures the essence of love as something rare and invaluable. In my own life, my girlfriend’s brilliance, wit, and talent make her a treasure beyond measure. She is not only beautiful but also an incredible person, and our love is a precious jewel that I hold dear. Donne’s poem reminds me that love is not something to be easily dismissed or sacrificed based on external judgments. Um, what? There are a lot of images in this poem, but “precious jewel” is not one of them. More apt (and correct) images include tapers, eagles, doves, phoenixes, and of course, the poem’s overarching metaphor comparing the lovers to saints. This is an example of the AI “hallucinating” (or making things up), and unfortunately, it’s a central point of this essay, even making it into the title.
In conclusion, John Donne’s “The Canonization” speaks to the depth and significance of love, emphasizing that it should be celebrated and cherished rather than undermined by external forces. My personal experiences with love and my deep affection for my girlfriend lead me to believe that parents should trust their children’s judgment when it comes to romantic relationships. Love is a unique and extraordinary journey, and it is the individuals involved who best understand its worth and significance. Just as the lovers in the poem found their love to be truly special, I too believe that my girlfriend and I share a love that is worth celebrating and defending against outside interference. The last line here is good for the type of subjective reader response I asked the AI to write. Other terms to use in this type of criticism include affect/effect (both how the poem affects you and the effect that the words produce). The goal with subjective reader response is to respond authentically to the text. with rich, personal details. To get that level of detail, you would have to spend a lot more than the five minutes I spent building your AI writer’s role.
Model AI Essay: Receptive Reader Response
“The Canonization of Love: Challenging Norms and Celebrating Complexity in John Donne’s Poem”
In John Donne’s poem “The Canonization,” the implied reader is someone who appreciates and understands the complexities and paradoxes of love. This implied reader seeks a deeper exploration of the multifaceted nature of romantic relationships and the idea that love transcends societal norms and judgments. The poem effectively meets the implied reader’s expectations by delving into the spiritual and transformative aspects of love, celebrating the extraordinary connection between two lovers, and challenging conventional perspectives on love.
The implied reader of “The Canonization” is someone who embraces the idea that love can be both sacred and joyous. The poem captures this sentiment by presenting love as a powerful force that elevates and enriches the lives of the lovers. The poem meets the implied reader’s expectations by highlighting the idea that love is not merely a conventional or societal construct but a profound, all-encompassing experience that defies easy categorization.
Furthermore, the poem challenges the implied reader to question societal norms and judgments surrounding love. It emphasizes that love should not be subject to external opposition or criticism, which aligns with the implied reader’s desire for a deeper exploration of love’s complexities. The poem challenges the implied reader to reevaluate preconceived notions about love and relationships.
In conclusion, John Donne’s “The Canonization” effectively meets the expectations of an implied reader who seeks a profound exploration of love, its transformative power, and its ability to transcend societal norms. The poem challenges conventional perspectives and encourages the implied reader to recognize the spiritual and extraordinary nature of love. Overall, the poem celebrates the depth and complexity of love, making a compelling argument that love should be revered and not subject to external judgments.
Source: https://chat.openai.com/share/e867e903-3838-4b77-ae90-01b6b15899b9
I have bolded terms and phrases that you should use when you practice receptive reader response.
Annotations: “The Canonization of Love: Challenging Norms and Celebrating Complexity in John Donne’s Poem”
In John Donne’s poem “The Canonization,” the implied reader is someone who appreciates and understands the complexities and paradoxes of love. This implied reader seeks a deeper exploration of the multifaceted nature of romantic relationships and the idea that love transcends societal norms and judgments. The poem effectively meets the implied reader’s expectations by delving into the spiritual and transformative aspects of love, celebrating the extraordinary connection between two lovers, and challenging conventional perspectives on love. This response does a good job of defining the implied reader for the poem in the introduction. In your essay, you would be defining the implied reader, then looking for examples from the text to support how your definition of that reader is supported. Of the three essays, this is the first one that has come up with an actual thesis statement that makes an argument. I highlighted it in blue. The analysis/argument is clear from the use of the word “effectively.”
The implied reader of “The Canonization” is someone who embraces the idea that love can be both sacred and joyous. The poem captures this sentiment by presenting love as a powerful force that elevates and enriches the lives of the lovers. The poem meets the implied reader’s expectations by highlighting the idea that love is not merely a conventional or societal construct but a profound, all-encompassing experience that defies easy categorization. You would want to provide specific examples from the poem to support this point.
Furthermore, the poem challenges the implied reader to question societal norms and judgments surrounding love. It emphasizes that love should not be subject to external opposition or criticism, which aligns with the implied reader’s desire for a deeper exploration of love’s complexities. The poem challenges the implied reader to reevaluate preconceived notions about love and relationships. Again, you would want to provide specific examples like the ones noted above. Look for evidence from the poem to support your points. It would also be interesting to note anything that might be surprising or unexpected to the implied reader, or to consider that in this case, the implied reader might be an ACTUAL person–Ann Donne’s father. Donne married Ann when he was 29 and she was 17. Here’s more biographical information to support that point:
In conclusion, John Donne’s “The Canonization” effectively meets the expectations of an implied reader who seeks a profound exploration of love, its transformative power, and its ability to transcend societal norms. The poem challenges conventional perspectives and encourages the implied reader to recognize the spiritual and extraordinary nature of love. Overall, the poem celebrates the depth and complexity of love, making a compelling argument that love should be revered and not subject to external judgments. This essay would provide a good “bare bones” framework for a receptive reader response poem, but you would need to flesh it out significantly by adding specific details from the poem itself, and in this case, considering the historical circumstances in which the poem was written. Sometime we actually know who the poem’s audience was, and this is important to talk about.
You Try It!
Choose one of your favorite poems. Then either define an implied reader for your poem, or create the profile of a subjective reader (you can use your own subjective details or create a character). Using ChatGPT or another generative AI program, write a prompt to create a short AI essay that applies the type of reader response theory approach you chose to the text. Then analyze the essay. Is the theory correctly applied to the text? Does the essay give you ideas about how you might analyze the text? Do you notice any errors or hallucinations? Using JSTOR, try to locate an article that uses this psychological theory and the text you chose. How does the AI-generated essay compare with the JSTOR article?
