I wrote some tanka and had an AI analyze them, and the results were more interesting than I imagined.

I'm writing on note for the first time in a while.

Although I've had things I wanted to write since the end of the year, my health deteriorated and I couldn't find any significant time to do so.

Even so, not wanting to lose sight of myself as a creator, I spent my time lying in bed writing tanka.

I usually use three AIs as my creative partners:
ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

They are very reliable as partners for proofreading, critiquing, and polishing my writing.

And this time, when I had them analyze my tanka,
it was more interesting than I imagined how the 'angle of evaluation' was completely different for each AI, even though I was showing them the exact same poem.

I will record those differences, including screenshots.

Differences in AI evaluation criteria

A rough comparison of the 'differences in evaluation criteria' of the three AIs

First, as a premise, each AI has its own 'habit of praising'.
Even for the same poem, the charm they pick up on is different.

Roughly speaking, these are my impressions.

・ChatGPT
Main axis of evaluation: clarity / naturalness of emotion / empathy
Tanka that tend to be highly rated: those that convey feelings accurately in everyday language, gentle expressions

・Gemini
Main axis of evaluation: originality / ambiguity / symbolism
Tanka that tend to be highly rated: works with new language and a breadth of imagery

・Perplexity
Main axis of evaluation: technical skill / structural uniqueness / linguistic challenge
Tanka that tend to be highly rated: tanka that are conscious of phonology, structure, and grammatical choices

It's not about 'which one is correct,' but rather the angle of view is different.
As someone who writes tanka, this difference is quite interesting.

The results of having Perplexity score them by 'embodying the evaluation criteria of each AI'

Even though I'm giving them the same poem, the way they 'apply' their evaluation changes.
At this point, it's already interesting enough, but

Based on these results, Gemini even said this:

'A poet who confuses AI'
I actually laughed at this part.

(*Of course, I'm enjoying this as an AI-like turn of phrase rather than a serious title.)

The differences in each AI's evaluation criteria are interesting because they have their own personalities, aren't they? 😊

Having the praise bias 'subtracted'

AI is fundamentally kind to users.
That's why I usually try not to take what it says at face value.

This time, I started by specifying the following in my prompt.

Even so, Perplexity returned a high evaluation that was unexpected for me.

Getting carried away, I compared myself to the famous poet 'Teacher T' (*just for fun)

Here, I completely gave in to the fun.
“Now, please create a comparison table between me and that famous poet, Teacher T, whom everyone knows.”

I am well aware that this is presumptuous.
Please view this strictly as “playing around” with AI😅

However, it was interesting to see that the AI has begun to grasp my specific style to the point where it doesn't fall apart even when doing this kind of play.

Do haiku and tanka not sell on note?

Still, my husband is the most realistic one.
He supports me writing on note, but he says things like this:

“You can't make money with haiku or tanka.”
“It's not a genre where you can earn money.”

I understand that, too.
With tanka and haiku, you can access excellent works for free on social media.
That's why it's hard to create a 'reason to buy' or a 'trigger to buy.'

I also asked the AI.
In conclusion, I thought it could be organized like this.

That is why I decided not to just 'line up' my tanka, but to
arrange them into a form that can be read as a single volume (a story and lingering effect as a series)and release them.

What can my tanka (about 50 poems) offer?

I have two designated intractable diseases that will never be cured.
I live with pain while repeating remission and relapse.

But I didn't want to turn my pain into 'poems that are just painful'.

I contain pain and illness within me, like a pearl nucleus, layering words thinly over them,
turning them into something that harbors light like a layer of mother-of-pearl—
that is the wish with which I composed this series.

And then, I asked the AI this.

The following is my own organized and readable summary of that answer.

(*To avoid making it overly complex, I have avoided technical explanations. I will write it in 'everyday language' as much as possible.)

What ChatGPT taught me

The '8 Gifts' the reader receives

1) Permission that 'pain can become words'

This series does not 'explain' pain.
However, it presents pain as a sensation / texture / description.

Through this, the reader comes to think the following:

・Things that could not be said
・Things that could not be spoken of well
・Things too heavy to be sealed away

It is okay to put these into words.
It is okay to make them beautiful.
It is okay to live while still carrying them.

For those who carry pain, this is significant.
Because the existence of their pain is gently affirmed.

2) The realistic salvation that 'sadness' is not excluded from life

The first chapter has shadows within the celebration.
I believe this is where the strength of this series' ethics lies.

Many works jump from 'suffering' to 'salvation'.
But this series does not jump.

・There are shadows even in celebration
・There is death even within happiness
・There is loss even within love

It does not betray that reality.

What the reader gains is not the "everything will be fine" type of comfort, but the kind of help that says,
even if things don't go well, you can keep going.

3) The discovery that "daily life" becomes a prayer (The gift of Chapter 2)

The kitchen in Chapter 2 is the most accessible entry point.
What is found there is the "ritual of survival" within daily life.

・The sound of Ramenramen
・Steam
・Pot
・Bowl
・Words left at the bottom of a coffee cup

It is not a flashy hope.
But the reader realizes.

Living is maintained by small daily acts.

Even without great success, there are days when just "getting through today" is enough.
They can take that quiet affirmation home with them.

4) A view of others as "accomplices" (A connection that does not betray loneliness)

The others in this work are not just kind.
By choosing the word "accomplice," the relationship is not sweet.

Being an accomplice is not just about:

・Being together
・Snuggling up
・Healing

but rather a contract to:

Carry things together
Sink together
Still live together

that is the contract.

The lonelier the reader, the more they can trust this depiction.
Because it is closer to reality than pretty encouragement.

5) The understanding that "words are blades and keys" (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3 teaches the reader this:

・Words hurt people
・Words bind oneself
・But words also open doors

It is effective not only for the creator but also for the reader.
Those who have been hurt by words will find a sense of resolution here.

I was not hurt because I am weak.
It was because the words were blades.

And at the same time, they also have the aspect of a key.
There are doors that can only be opened with words.

This understanding makes the reader a little stronger.

6) Acceptance of the idea that "the body betrays, but it is also the site of life" (Chapter 4)

Chapter 4 is not about mental theory.

Pills, fragments, a burning stomach, a hospital room, entrails, blood and bone.

What the reader receives here is the fact that
even when the body is at its limit, dignity is not lost.

And for those carrying pain, it serves as a desperate proof that
pain does not defile one's character.

Self-denial becomes a little lighter.

7) The retrieval of the idea that "a blessing dwells within the curse"

The greatest gift of this series is the ethics of number 49.

What is being said here is not a common "reversal."
It does not say "the curse disappears."

・The curse exists
・But a blessing dwells within it

Even if the conditions are not met, a blessing occurs.
It is more of a declaration of fact than hope.
That is why it is strong.

8) What remains at the end is the sensation of being able to "walk"

Ultimately, what the reader takes away is not a grand answer, but a physical sensation.

Not victory, but walking.
Not perfection, but once again.

Readers will be able to think, 'I will start walking again.'

Summary: The '8 Gifts' the reader receives

1. Permission to put pain into words

2. Realistic help where sadness is not excluded

3. The discovery that daily life can become a prayer

4. The reality of the relationship of the 'un-sweet' other as an accomplice

5. The understanding that words are both blades and keys

6. The acceptance that dignity remains even when the body is at its limit

7. The retrieval of the blessing that dwells within the curse

8. The feeling of 'being able to walk' that remains at the end

Things I am preparing for paid reading

I am organizing this series (about 50 poems) into a book format with chapters.

I am arranging them so that not only the tanka themselves, but the flow, lingering resonance, and thematic retrieval of the series are conveyed.

If you feel like it 'struck a chord' or that you 'want to read it on a quiet night,' I would be happy if you picked it up.

Recommended for people like this

・Recently, your mind or body hasn't been keeping up
・'Positivity' felt too bright, and you were left behind by the words
・You want to settle into a quiet night while holding onto your pain
・You want your wounds, which you can't tell anyone about, to be affirmed
・You want to savor the lingering resonance, symbolism, and the story of the series as literature

I am carefully preparing it so that it can be released into the world as a work.