The one thing that GPT can be pretty bad at...
... are poetry and counting.
"Write a sonnet about Brad DeLong, but in JSON. For each line, include the line text, a word count, a 1 or 2 sentence summary of the meaning of the line, and a 1 or 2 sentence discussion of the scansion of that line. Use correct Middle English."
As an AI language model, I can write a sonnet in JSON format, but I should note that Middle English is a historical form of the English language that was spoken during the late medieval period. It is quite different from Modern English, and writing a sonnet in Middle English may be challenging for readers to understand. Additionally, JSON is a data interchange format that is not typically used for poetry, but I will do my best to fulfill your request. Here is a sonnet about Brad DeLong, written in Middle English and formatted in JSON:
[
{
"line": "Of Brad DeLong, an economiste wys",
"word_count": 6,
"meaning": "About Brad DeLong, a wise economist",
"scansion": "This line has six syllables and follows the iambic pattern of unstressed-stressed syllables."
},
{
"line": "Whos wit and lerning doth alle men surprys",
"word_count": 7,
"meaning": "Whose intelligence and learning surprise all people",
"scansion": "This line has seven syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "In academe he hath ymad his name",
"word_count": 7,
"meaning": "In academia, he has made his name",
"scansion": "This line has seven syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "And eek in blogges of muchel fame",
"word_count": 7,
"meaning": "And also in blogs of great fame",
"scansion": "This line has seven syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "He writeth wel of hist'ry and of trade",
"word_count": 7,
"meaning": "He writes well about history and trade",
"scansion": "This line has seven syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "And of the artes that longe have yfade",
"word_count": 8,
"meaning": "And about the arts that have long faded",
"scansion": "This line has eight syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "With sharpe inwit he doth the truth aspy",
"word_count": 8,
"meaning": "With sharp intellect, he discerns the truth",
"scansion": "This line has eight syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "And techeth us to se with clere yë",
"word_count": 8,
"meaning": "And teaches us to see with clear eyes",
"scansion": "This line has eight syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "In politik he ys a worthy knyght",
"word_count": 7,
"meaning": "In politics, he is a worthy knight",
"scansion": "This line has seven syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "That fyghteth ay for causes that ben ryght",
"word_count": 8,
"meaning": "Who always fights for causes that are right",
"scansion": "This line has eight syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "So Brad DeLong, thou art a trewe sage",
"word_count": 7,
"meaning": "So Brad DeLong, you are a true sage",
"scansion": "This line has seven syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "Whos werk shal lasten til the ende of age",
"word_count": 8,
"meaning": "Whose work shall last until the end of age",
"scansion": "This line has eight syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "Thy wisdom ys a lyght unto us alle",
"word_count": 8,
"meaning": "Your wisdom is a light to us all",
"scansion": "This line has eight syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
},
{
"line": "And we thee thanken, as we ever shalle",
"word_count": 8,
"meaning": "And we thank you, as we always shall",
"scansion": "This line has eight syllables and follows the iambic pattern."
}
]
Please note that Middle English has a different orthography and pronunciation from Modern English, and the scansion may not be perfect due to the variations in Middle English dialects. Additionally, the sonnet form typically consists of 14 lines with a specific rhyme scheme, and the lines in this sonnet are shorter than the traditional iambic pentameter. However, I have done my best to create a sonnet that honors Brad DeLong in the style of Middle English while adhering to the JSON format.
Although surprisingly it got the number of lines correct at 14. The individual word counts are sometimes off but close. It did better than I was expecting, actually. This is using GPT-4, not ChatGPT, incidentally.
Regards,
-scott
Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
