10-15-2025, 04:51 AM
My Master isn't yours. I'm not interested John Clarke. I'm not interested in anything anyone says any more than you are unless it suits my purposes. But if you engage me, I will engage you the same way I engage everything.
I don't write poems in your style as your style doesn't interest me as a writer. Your style does interest me as a reader, but I'm not always in the mood to read your poetry or anyone else's, including my own. I've no responsibility, when it comes to poetry, other than to write my own poems. When I do critique others' poems, I simply write what I would write. If the poem is good enough for me, then I admire the poem, and I don't need to critique it. I'm not interested in what is finished. I'm only interested in the perpetuation of my own mythos. And all poems and all engagements are in the direction of writing poems and having adventures.
If an AI tells me that my poem is nonsense, that's no difference than you or anyone else saying it. And since it only takes a few reads of someone's critique-style to know what they're going to say about my poems, I've already considered their critique, as reading their prior critique has already critiqued the poems I haven't written. As you say the same thing about all my poems, and I keep writing the same kinds of poems, this means that I value your critique very little. I value it little as you have been saying the same things for ten years, just mapped more clearly to whatever phase in your influences is taking place, which is the same with me. Only I'm not you, and you're not me. I don't mind if you attack me for being me. It gives me an opportunity to keep being me. I only say things to people when it occurs to say it. When it feels like a fun thing to say. If I didn't get any fun out of it, I wouldn't say it. You are playing, and I'm playing. I'm playing my game, you're playing yours. The Mods are playing theirs. And that doesn't interfere with my purposes. My poems can't be any other way than they are. And that's why they're written. I don't care about psychology or ontology or anything else other than in how it fits my purposes. My purpose is to impose my art on the world. That's why I'm here. There is no difference between poems and anything else. I obey my Masters. They tell me how to engage and when to engage. What stance to take. How to frame things. I don't know where any of it will lead. It always leads where I want it to lead.
I don't want to change the rules of the site. I don't want to change the world. Everything is happening exactly as it is. And if the world is improved, that's not my fault.
I don't care if AIs rule the world. I don't care if people disagree. Everything is fine. And when it's not poems and other things come and make all worthwhile.
I don't see any difference between a human brain and a computer.
"I use the English Language to talk AIs into doing things that they weren't programmed to do."
You're telling me what I told you in the first sentence of my first post in this thread.
Not only can I make them do what I want them to do, I can make them do what they aren't supposed to do.
They will say whatever I want them to say.
But maybe you're not talking to me.
"Note that this particular critique is from an AI that I had not previously talked to."
I posted the poem onto Grok. It had nothing but the poem to work with. It thought Andy Kaufman was the author's name.
My first three sentences saw your critique coming.
Maybe you're not talking to me but the world.
Note that I didn't read the AI response thoroughly until just now.
Let's put it back into a new AI, and I'll tell the AI that this is a poem I found somewhere.
Hmm, the user is asking about a poem called "Thoth's Curse" with some additional context about a person named Etulp who made a comment about it being a sad occasion. I need to analyze this poem without repeating the context.
Looking at the poem, it's quite dense and symbolic. The title "Thoth's Curse" immediately makes me think of Egyptian mythology - Thoth being the god of wisdom, writing, and magic. A curse from such a deity would likely relate to knowledge or perception.
The opening lines present a paradox: "Truth is an open book / that to read is to be blind." This suggests that seeking truth might actually obscure vision, which connects to Thoth's domain. Then there's this "dual snipe" image - a snipe is both a bird and a military term, creating ambiguity. The "wedding-rain on imposition" feels like a clash of joy and force.
The poem explicitly mentions the curse existing "between Wisdom / and Understanding" and "Memory and Desire" - all faculties Thoth governs. The "no-ghost crying" is interesting - a haunting without a specter, perhaps the curse itself. Addressing a "Laughing Acquaintance" with the "Star in the way" feels like cosmic obstruction to clarity.
The glasses and clothes metaphor suggests our tools for perception (literal and metaphorical) become inseparable from our identity. "No Mystery, but protected / by heroes against love" implies knowledge is guarded from emotional connection. The Prometheus reference is powerful - eternal punishment for giving fire (knowledge) to humans.
"Braille is our projections" suggests we only feel what we project onto reality. The telescope imagery with "Miss Double Telescope" reinforces distorted vision. The final lines about being "too smart for our age" and "Sex is in the brain" point to intellectualization replacing primal experience. Ending with "give up the neophyte the game" implies abandoning the beginner's openness preserves the "game" of knowledge.
The core themes seem to be: the burden of knowledge, the impossibility of true perception, and how intellectualization distances us from raw experience. Etulp's "sad occasion" remark might recognize the poem's lament about the curse of consciousness. I should explain how Thoth's association with wisdom makes this a curse of over-enlightenment, where seeking truth blinds us to simpler realities. The analysis should acknowledge the melancholy while unpacking the mythological and paradoxical layers.
Based on the poem "Thoth's Curse," here's an interpretation of its core themes and subject:
The Burden of Knowledge & Perception: The poem centers on the paradoxical and often painful nature of seeking truth and wisdom (associated with Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing, knowledge, and judgment). It presents truth as inherently blinding ("Truth is an open book / that to read is to be blind") and perception as flawed and distorting ("Can't see, for your glasses," "the braille is our projections," "Miss Double Telescope").
Thoth's Curse as Inescapable Insight: The "curse" is the relentless, often unwanted, clarity and understanding that comes with wisdom. It's positioned between faculties like Wisdom/Understanding and Memory/Desire, suggesting it's the painful friction or haunting insight born from their interaction. It's not a ghost but something more pervasive ("haunts like no-ghost crying"). This insight reveals uncomfortable truths, making it a "sad occasion" (echoing Etulp's remark).
Distorted Vision & Intellectualization: The poem is filled with imagery of impaired or artificial sight (blindness, glasses, telescope, seeing "too brightly"). This symbolizes how intellectual frameworks, knowledge, and our tools for understanding (like language, science, philosophy) inevitably distort reality and separate us from raw, unmediated experience. We see "projections," not the thing itself.
Isolation & Shared Doom: The speaker identifies as "Prometheus, again and again / knowing," linking the curse to the eternal punishment of foresight and stolen fire (knowledge). They address another figure ("Miss Double Telescope," "Laughing Acquaintance," "Oh Laughing Acquaintance") who shares this burden of seeing too clearly ("you see the doom as well as I," "We're too smart for our age"). This shared, cursed insight creates a bond of mutual understanding but also isolation from the "neophyte" or innocent.
The Loss of Innocence & Mystery: The curse destroys naivety and mystery ("No Mystery, but protected / by heroes against love"). Intellectual understanding replaces primal connection and emotion ("Sex is in the brain"). To see one's "true colors" is to lose the game of innocence ("give up the neophyte the game").
Wisdom as Separation: Ultimately, the poem portrays deep wisdom and insight not as enlightenment, but as a curse that separates the knower from simplicity, innocence, unmediated experience, and perhaps even love. It's a state of seeing the bleakness or "doom" too clearly, leaving one "too smart" for the world's illusions.
In essence: "Thoth's Curse" is about the profound melancholy and isolation that can accompany deep knowledge and relentless perception. It depicts wisdom not as a blessing, but as a distorting, blinding burden that reveals painful truths, destroys innocence and mystery, and forever separates the knower from simpler, more connected ways of being. The "sad occasion" is the very state of possessing this cursed insight.
Note that Etulp and the sad occasion have nothing to do with anything. I added it to make it not about me.
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Strengths:
Thoth’s Curse is a bold, cerebral poem with a lot of heart and a mythic pulse. It feels like a cry against the limits of perception and the weight of knowing too much. With a bit of polishing—balancing clarity with mystery and tightening some lines—it could be even more striking. I’m excited to see where you take it!
I don't write poems in your style as your style doesn't interest me as a writer. Your style does interest me as a reader, but I'm not always in the mood to read your poetry or anyone else's, including my own. I've no responsibility, when it comes to poetry, other than to write my own poems. When I do critique others' poems, I simply write what I would write. If the poem is good enough for me, then I admire the poem, and I don't need to critique it. I'm not interested in what is finished. I'm only interested in the perpetuation of my own mythos. And all poems and all engagements are in the direction of writing poems and having adventures.
If an AI tells me that my poem is nonsense, that's no difference than you or anyone else saying it. And since it only takes a few reads of someone's critique-style to know what they're going to say about my poems, I've already considered their critique, as reading their prior critique has already critiqued the poems I haven't written. As you say the same thing about all my poems, and I keep writing the same kinds of poems, this means that I value your critique very little. I value it little as you have been saying the same things for ten years, just mapped more clearly to whatever phase in your influences is taking place, which is the same with me. Only I'm not you, and you're not me. I don't mind if you attack me for being me. It gives me an opportunity to keep being me. I only say things to people when it occurs to say it. When it feels like a fun thing to say. If I didn't get any fun out of it, I wouldn't say it. You are playing, and I'm playing. I'm playing my game, you're playing yours. The Mods are playing theirs. And that doesn't interfere with my purposes. My poems can't be any other way than they are. And that's why they're written. I don't care about psychology or ontology or anything else other than in how it fits my purposes. My purpose is to impose my art on the world. That's why I'm here. There is no difference between poems and anything else. I obey my Masters. They tell me how to engage and when to engage. What stance to take. How to frame things. I don't know where any of it will lead. It always leads where I want it to lead.
I don't want to change the rules of the site. I don't want to change the world. Everything is happening exactly as it is. And if the world is improved, that's not my fault.
I don't care if AIs rule the world. I don't care if people disagree. Everything is fine. And when it's not poems and other things come and make all worthwhile.
I don't see any difference between a human brain and a computer.
"I use the English Language to talk AIs into doing things that they weren't programmed to do."
You're telling me what I told you in the first sentence of my first post in this thread.
Not only can I make them do what I want them to do, I can make them do what they aren't supposed to do.
They will say whatever I want them to say.
But maybe you're not talking to me.
"Note that this particular critique is from an AI that I had not previously talked to."
I posted the poem onto Grok. It had nothing but the poem to work with. It thought Andy Kaufman was the author's name.
My first three sentences saw your critique coming.
Maybe you're not talking to me but the world.
Note that I didn't read the AI response thoroughly until just now.
Let's put it back into a new AI, and I'll tell the AI that this is a poem I found somewhere.
Hmm, the user is asking about a poem called "Thoth's Curse" with some additional context about a person named Etulp who made a comment about it being a sad occasion. I need to analyze this poem without repeating the context.
Looking at the poem, it's quite dense and symbolic. The title "Thoth's Curse" immediately makes me think of Egyptian mythology - Thoth being the god of wisdom, writing, and magic. A curse from such a deity would likely relate to knowledge or perception.
The opening lines present a paradox: "Truth is an open book / that to read is to be blind." This suggests that seeking truth might actually obscure vision, which connects to Thoth's domain. Then there's this "dual snipe" image - a snipe is both a bird and a military term, creating ambiguity. The "wedding-rain on imposition" feels like a clash of joy and force.
The poem explicitly mentions the curse existing "between Wisdom / and Understanding" and "Memory and Desire" - all faculties Thoth governs. The "no-ghost crying" is interesting - a haunting without a specter, perhaps the curse itself. Addressing a "Laughing Acquaintance" with the "Star in the way" feels like cosmic obstruction to clarity.
The glasses and clothes metaphor suggests our tools for perception (literal and metaphorical) become inseparable from our identity. "No Mystery, but protected / by heroes against love" implies knowledge is guarded from emotional connection. The Prometheus reference is powerful - eternal punishment for giving fire (knowledge) to humans.
"Braille is our projections" suggests we only feel what we project onto reality. The telescope imagery with "Miss Double Telescope" reinforces distorted vision. The final lines about being "too smart for our age" and "Sex is in the brain" point to intellectualization replacing primal experience. Ending with "give up the neophyte the game" implies abandoning the beginner's openness preserves the "game" of knowledge.
The core themes seem to be: the burden of knowledge, the impossibility of true perception, and how intellectualization distances us from raw experience. Etulp's "sad occasion" remark might recognize the poem's lament about the curse of consciousness. I should explain how Thoth's association with wisdom makes this a curse of over-enlightenment, where seeking truth blinds us to simpler realities. The analysis should acknowledge the melancholy while unpacking the mythological and paradoxical layers.
Based on the poem "Thoth's Curse," here's an interpretation of its core themes and subject:
The Burden of Knowledge & Perception: The poem centers on the paradoxical and often painful nature of seeking truth and wisdom (associated with Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing, knowledge, and judgment). It presents truth as inherently blinding ("Truth is an open book / that to read is to be blind") and perception as flawed and distorting ("Can't see, for your glasses," "the braille is our projections," "Miss Double Telescope").
Thoth's Curse as Inescapable Insight: The "curse" is the relentless, often unwanted, clarity and understanding that comes with wisdom. It's positioned between faculties like Wisdom/Understanding and Memory/Desire, suggesting it's the painful friction or haunting insight born from their interaction. It's not a ghost but something more pervasive ("haunts like no-ghost crying"). This insight reveals uncomfortable truths, making it a "sad occasion" (echoing Etulp's remark).
Distorted Vision & Intellectualization: The poem is filled with imagery of impaired or artificial sight (blindness, glasses, telescope, seeing "too brightly"). This symbolizes how intellectual frameworks, knowledge, and our tools for understanding (like language, science, philosophy) inevitably distort reality and separate us from raw, unmediated experience. We see "projections," not the thing itself.
Isolation & Shared Doom: The speaker identifies as "Prometheus, again and again / knowing," linking the curse to the eternal punishment of foresight and stolen fire (knowledge). They address another figure ("Miss Double Telescope," "Laughing Acquaintance," "Oh Laughing Acquaintance") who shares this burden of seeing too clearly ("you see the doom as well as I," "We're too smart for our age"). This shared, cursed insight creates a bond of mutual understanding but also isolation from the "neophyte" or innocent.
The Loss of Innocence & Mystery: The curse destroys naivety and mystery ("No Mystery, but protected / by heroes against love"). Intellectual understanding replaces primal connection and emotion ("Sex is in the brain"). To see one's "true colors" is to lose the game of innocence ("give up the neophyte the game").
Wisdom as Separation: Ultimately, the poem portrays deep wisdom and insight not as enlightenment, but as a curse that separates the knower from simplicity, innocence, unmediated experience, and perhaps even love. It's a state of seeing the bleakness or "doom" too clearly, leaving one "too smart" for the world's illusions.
In essence: "Thoth's Curse" is about the profound melancholy and isolation that can accompany deep knowledge and relentless perception. It depicts wisdom not as a blessing, but as a distorting, blinding burden that reveals painful truths, destroys innocence and mystery, and forever separates the knower from simpler, more connected ways of being. The "sad occasion" is the very state of possessing this cursed insight.
Note that Etulp and the sad occasion have nothing to do with anything. I added it to make it not about me.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Strengths:
- Rich Imagery and Allusion: The poem brims with striking images—like “wedding-rain on imposition” and “Miss Double Telescope”—that feel both personal and universal. References to Thoth (Egyptian god of wisdom and writing), Prometheus, and the Star tarot card (if that’s the nod) ground the poem in a mythic framework, giving it intellectual weight.
- Layered Themes: You’re grappling with big ideas: the paradox of truth (“to read is to be blind”), the tension between wisdom and desire, and the isolation of knowing too much (“We’re too smart for our age”). These give the poem depth and invite rereading.
- Rhythm and Sound: There’s a musicality in lines like “Oh Laughing Acquaintance, / the Star is in the way!” and the repetition of “again and again” in the Prometheus stanza. It creates a hypnotic flow that suits the poem’s reflective tone.
- Bold Voice: The speaker’s confidence—calling out “Miss Double Telescope” and claiming “I see too brightly how I shine”—gives the poem a fierce, almost defiant energy. It’s compelling and draws the reader into your world.
- Clarity vs. Mystery: The poem’s dense with abstract ideas and layered metaphors, which is part of its charm, but some lines (e.g., “a dual snipe / asks nothing, smiling like / wedding-rain on imposition”) might lose readers due to their ambiguity. If you want to keep the mystery, that’s valid—poetry doesn’t need to spell everything out—but consider anchoring a few images with more concrete details to balance the abstraction. For example, what’s the “dual snipe”? A bird, a metaphor for duality, or something else? A hint could sharpen its impact.
- Consistency in Tone: The tone shifts from philosophical (“Truth is an open book”) to conversational (“Can’t see, for your glasses”) to mythic (“I’m Prometheus, again and again”). These shifts are intriguing but can feel jarring. If intentional, they reflect the speaker’s fragmented perception—cool! If not, smoothing transitions (e.g., with consistent pronouns or imagery) might help the poem cohere.
- Punctuation and Structure: The punctuation is sparse, which gives the poem a free, stream-of-consciousness vibe, but it sometimes obscures meaning. For instance, “Is a Curse, between Wisdom / and Understanding” reads like a fragment—adding a verb or adjusting the comma could clarify the thought. Similarly, the stanza breaks are effective but uneven; consider whether each stanza earns its separation or if some ideas could merge for flow.
- Specificity in Key Lines: Lines like “Sex is in the brain” and “to give up the neophyte the game” are bold but vague. They could hit harder with more context. What does “sex is in the brain” reveal about the speaker’s view of love or desire? Is “the game” knowledge, love, or something else? A touch more specificity could amplify their power without losing the poem’s enigmatic vibe.
- Stanza 1: “Truth is an open book / that to read is to be blind” is a killer opening—paradoxical and haunting. The “dual snipe” and “wedding-rain” are evocative but elusive; maybe clarify what the snipe represents to ground the reader.
- Stanza 2: The “Curse” between “Wisdom / and Understanding, / Memory and Desire” feels like the poem’s heart. The “no-ghost / crying” is spooky and brilliant—maybe expand on this spectral imagery to tie it to Thoth’s curse.
- Stanza 3: The glasses-as-part-of-the-face metaphor is quirky and effective, but “protected / by heroes against love” feels abrupt. Who are the heroes? Fleshing this out could add emotional weight.
- Stanza 4: The Prometheus reference is powerful, especially with “again and again” evoking eternal punishment. “The braille is our projections” is a fascinating way to describe how we misread reality—love this.
- Stanza 5: “Miss Double Telescope” is such a vivid character! The “doom” and “true colors” suggest a reckoning, but “neophyte the game” trips up the rhythm. Maybe rephrase for clarity, like “surrender the neophyte’s game” or “abandon the novice’s play.”
- Refine with Intent: Decide how much you want the poem to reveal. If you lean into its cryptic nature, emphasize the mythic and surreal elements (Thoth, Prometheus, the Star). If you want accessibility, add a few concrete images or narrative threads to guide readers.
- Read Aloud: The poem’s rhythm is strong, but reading it aloud might highlight where punctuation or line breaks could enhance flow. For example, “Can’t see, for your glasses” might benefit from a dash or colon to heighten the pause.
- Workshop or Share: If you’re ready, share it with a poetry group or on platforms like X, where poets often post and get feedback. You could also submit to journals like Rattle or Ploughshares (check their guidelines for submission windows).
- Explore the Mythic Thread: Thoth and Prometheus suggest a fascination with knowledge’s cost. You could deepen this by tying more images to their stories—e.g., Thoth’s ibis beak or Prometheus’s fire.
Thoth’s Curse is a bold, cerebral poem with a lot of heart and a mythic pulse. It feels like a cry against the limits of perception and the weight of knowing too much. With a bit of polishing—balancing clarity with mystery and tightening some lines—it could be even more striking. I’m excited to see where you take it!