Legacy of the Rowlands
In ages past, a name was born,
A lineage rich, of which we are sworn,
The Rowlands, a clan of noble grace,
Whose legacy we still embrace.
From ancient times, their bloodline flows,
Through valleys deep and mountains snows,
A tale of heroes, warriors bold,
Whose stories through the ages told.
From Europe they came, across the sea,
To America, a land of the free,
Their roots run deep, their family strong,
A history steeped in lore and song.
Today a surname for John and Jane,
Their lineage weaves a complex chain,
Through generations, their story told,
A journey rich, of young and old.
Through wars and peace, through joy and pain,
The Rowland name, it shall remain,
A symbol of hope, of strength and love,
A heritage we’re quite proud of.
So here’s to the Rowlands, one and all,
A family tree that will never fall,
Their history etched in stone and ink,
A legacy that will forever link.
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Linked to dVerse Poets Pub — Meet the bar artificially, where Björn is hosting and asked us to use an AI tool to help us write a poem. I asked ChatGPT to write a poem about Rowland Genealogy. I then used the “Regenerate response” button to create a second a third version. However, I chose to use the first version with a few minor edits:
- changed “Wales” to “Europe” in the third stanza
- changed “From Rowland Hill to” to “Today a surname for” in the fourth stanza
- added the word “quite” to the fifth stanza
I then asked ChatGPT to draw a picture of this, and it replied that it was only a language model. Lastly, I asked ChatGPT to provide a good title for this poem.
Using another AI tool, ChatSonic, I repeated the process of asking it to write a poem about Rowland Genealogy. In my opinion, the result was inferior. However, when I asked it to draw a picture of the poem, it provided two images. The first one is below and the second one appears at the beginning.
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The images generated are actually some of the better looking AI images I’ve seen – complimentary enough to the generated poem. Interesting thing to see what a computer offered back to you by way of a poem about your family’s history. It seems to tick boxes, for rhyme, meter and all that, but it’s rather generic. I’m sure your family history is far richer for details, which ultimately, would make a poem come alive.
Actually, I did not want anything specific to my family. I operate the Rowland Genealogy website, which encompasses all Rowland/Roland (and other variants) families around the world. This actually looks like something I would write. My style is one of telling stories with a heavy emphasis on rhyme and meter, along with the avoidance of flowery words. I found it interesting that it pick up on “heroes” “warriors bold” “song” and “stone” as the origin of the name is Roland, the famous warrior, nephew of Charlemange, whose tale is told in the oldest surviving French literature – The Song of Roland.
I understand, about not wanting to single out specifics. But sometimes “epics” do actually get into some details. At any rate, it reads well enough as something one can almost imagine a bard or court poet singing before a captive audience. And more to the point, if you like it and well enough pleased, then it’s all good. 🙂
I think the poem was better than most, and maybe more in the style of a rhyming poem. The pictures was actually quite good, especially the first one.
Looking at the frustations others had, I believe the lack of constraints aided these results.
Not too hepped up about the poem but I do like the art it generated. Nice to see you at dVerse again, Ron.