I asked AI to write a poem about Cullercoats, and this is what it came up with 👀
Quite bizarre and actually pretty good!
Alan Turing, when defining his eponymous test for artificial intelligence, used the ability to compose a poem about the Forth Bridge as his prime example. I’m sure he’d be awestruck by how far computing has come. This was written practically instantly.
No air-built castles, and no fairy bowers,
But thou, fair Tynemouth, and thy well-known towers,
Now bid th’ historic muse explore the maze
Of long past years, and tales of other days.
Pride of Northumbria!—from thy crowded port,
Where Europe’s brave commercial sons resort,
Her boasted mines send forth their sable stores,
To buy the varied wealth of distant shores.
Here the tall lighthouse, bold in spiral height,
Glads with its welcome beam the seaman’s sight.
Here, too, the firm redoubt, the rampart’s length,
The death-fraught cannon, and the bastion’s strength,
Hang frowning o’er the briny deep below,
To guard the coast against th’ invading foe.
Here health salubrious spreads her balmy wings,
And woos the sufferer to her saline springs;
And, here the antiquarian strays around
The ruin’d abbey, and its sacred ground.
Jane Harvey
From ‘The Castle of Tynemouth. A Tale’ (1806)
Photograph: Lee Stoneman
Photograph: Lee Stoneman
No air-built castles, and no fairy bowers,
But thou, fair Tynemouth, and thy well-known towers,
Now bid th’ historic muse explore the maze
Of long past years, and tales of other days.
Pride of Northumbria!—from thy crowded port,
Where Europe’s brave commercial sons resort,
Her boasted mines send forth their sable stores,
To buy the varied wealth of distant shores.
Here the tall lighthouse, bold in spiral height,
Glads with its welcome beam the seaman’s sight.
Here, too, the firm redoubt, the rampart’s length,
The death-fraught cannon, and the bastion’s strength,
Hang frowning o’er the briny deep below,
To guard the coast against th’ invading foe.
Here health salubrious spreads her balmy wings,
And woos the sufferer to her saline springs;
And, here the antiquarian strays around
The ruin’d abbey, and its sacred ground.
Jane Harvey
From ‘The Castle of Tynemouth. A Tale’ (1806)
Here’s one for Shields:
North Shields, a town by the sea,
Whose harbor bustles with activity.
Fishing boats and ships come and go,
Carrying cargo and stories to show.
The river Tyne flows by its side,
A lifeline for trade and maritime pride.
Its banks dotted with pubs and bars,
A perfect spot to admire the stars.
The Fish Quay, a place of history,
Where fishing families lived in unity.
Nowadays, it’s a hub for food,
Fish and chips, and seafood stewed.
The High Street, lined with shops,
A busy place that never stops.
From local boutiques to chain stores,
Something for everyone to explore.
The “Clifford’s Fort” stands tall and proud,
A reminder of North Shield’s past aloud.
Built to defend against foreign foes,
Now it’s a monument to cherish and show.
North Shields, a town with a heart,
Its people friendly, kind, and smart.
A place to visit and call home,
Where the sea meets the land, and you can roam.