Notes About The Poem

The poem doesn’t just say AI checkers miss things; it shows it by embodying their quirks and then undercutting them with human wit. How? It serves as the example poem at my article:

Does AI Have a Poetic Voice? (poetrysoup.com)

This skit was co-written with MS Copilot (on purpose) – 14/4/2026—irony at its best.

A neat demonstration of how form itself can lampoon. AI’s habit of defaulting to clinically correct iambic metre, as well as the near cliché delivered by the ghostly voice in this skit—with its origin as footnote—lampoons the very habit of over-referencing, especially in debates about AI checkers and ‘authenticity policing’.

Picture generated by DALL-E 3

Reliance on AI Checkers

Enter Poet, clutching a sonnet: ‘The checker says I’m guilty. See, it flagged my rhyme as machine!!’
Podcaster nods sagely: ‘It is not your imagination; it is proof the robots haunt our dreams.’
Audience gasps: 'That’s NOTHing. SHAKEspeare ALso ONCE acCUSED – / preDICTable Iambs, GROSS susPIcious RUSE!'
Poet protests:  ‘I swear it’s quill and ink, not silicon and code …’
Checker blinks, statistical gears grinding: ‘Patterns resemble algorithmic load.’
While phubbing, critic whispers: ‘False positives thrive where meter marches tight.’
Podcaster grins: ’Ignorance sells—truth is dull, paranoia bites.’
Poet sighs: ‘Convenient shield, this oracle of error—‘
Exasperated, Curtain falls: ‘Disinformation thrives when denial meets terror.’
From the wings, Thomas Gray’s quietly haunting voice: ‘Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.’*
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*From the final stanza of Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College, by Thomas Gray (1716–71).
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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Miller Avatar
May 19, 2026 at 7:46 AM
This is so brilliant
Richards Avatar
May 19, 2026 at 9:43 AM
It was fun to write. Thanks, Terry :)
Kitchin Avatar
April 25, 2026 at 6:37 AM
Suzette, I enjoyed this. It's too bad we don't have better tools but in reality, we can't keep up with AI. I have checked some of my poems with the detectors and some show some AI. My poems are 100 percent my work. I agree with Ink, using intuition and I also have a list of known suspects who write fake or stolen poetry. I think at some point AI will take over the world. Maybe a conspiracy theory. :)
Richards Avatar
April 25, 2026 at 9:27 AM
We are inundated with information, but it is often if no value to us. You may well as whether it is a conspiracy theory or a real issue to keep us in the dark, Tania. :)
Empress Avatar
April 18, 2026 at 6:26 AM
The truth is ai checkers are not accurate…I have been accused too of using AI, apparently checkers showed. But the truth is I vent on paper not thinking of what words to avoid cus AI now uses them all.Like “aching “ “ pulse and whatelse? However I enjoyed reading this. Its best to not point fingers, use intuition to spot wats real and whats not. I can tell (most of the time) when I see AI. Thank you for your comment on my potd. Pleasure reading you today. Sending you light always
Richards Avatar
April 18, 2026 at 6:50 AM
This is why I poked fun & over indulged in typical AI identifiable tells, eg "it is not X; it is Y" (as I discussed in my article mentioned in the notes). I miss the good old days when we could trust what we read in newspapers - no, wait ... That used to be just as bad. Thanks for the visit & chat, Ink. Have a great weekend :)
Hind Avatar
April 16, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Yeah how ironic lol :/
Richards Avatar
April 17, 2026 at 2:13 AM
I had fun with this one :)
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