November 8, 2024
In this post I will explore the "Poetry to Image" prompting technique. In this technique, I use ChatGPT to produce a prompt for image creation in the form of poetry (see Prompt to AI below for an example). Then I tell ChatGPT to create an image based on the prompt (Poem) it has produced. Finally, I see how Dall-e3 has revised the prompt during the image creation process (Revised Prompt).
Prompt to AI
Create a prompt for an abstract expressionist painting of a snowy owl hunting a mouse in a winter scene. Make the prompt in the form of a relatively brief choka.
Poem
Wings cut through cold air,
white feathers blend with snowfall,
a silent descent.
Snowflakes swirl in frenzied strokes,
mouse dashes beneath the sky.
Claws meet shadowed ground,
winter’s fierce and fleeting dance—
a flash, then stillness.
Revised Prompt
An abstract expressionist painting of a snowy owl hunting a mouse in a winter scene. The owl's white wings blend with falling snow as it descends silently, creating dynamic, frenzied brushstrokes. Snowflakes swirl and shadows dance, adding chaotic, expressive energy to the landscape. The mouse scurries below, small and unaware amidst the vast, snowy backdrop. Claws meet shadowed ground in a flash of motion, capturing the fierce and fleeting nature of winter’s hunt. The scene is intense, with abstract, bold strokes and an atmospheric stillness.
Notes
I believe that the final image created by the AI is the result not just of the poem but of the entire discussion leading to the poem. That is, although it is likely that lines like "Snowflakes swirl in frenzied strokes" contributed to the overall style of the image, it is also almost certain that the initial prompt asking for a prompt for an abstract expressionist painting also contributed. If this is true, copying the poem and using it as a prompt will likely result in a very different image than the one produced in the context of the entire process described above.
Variation - Fiery Red Fox
This was actually my first attempt at this method. I just asked that the AI create a prompt that rhymes without being more specific.
Prompt to AI
Create a prompt for an avant-garde painting of a fox in an autumn forest. Make the prompt rhyme.
Poem
A fox with a coat of fiery red,
In an autumn forest where leaves have shed.
Avant-garde style, both strange and bold,
With hues of amber, rust, and gold.
Brushstrokes wild, like leaves that swirl,
A mystical vibe begins to unfurl.
Trees twist upward, sky’s ablaze,
In surreal, enchanted, woodland haze.
The fox looks on, wise and sly,
As if it knows where secrets lie.
A haunting scene, both fierce and sweet—
Where forest dreams and wild worlds meet.
Revised Prompt
A painting of a fox with a fiery red coat in an autumn forest, surrounded by swirling leaves in hues of amber, rust, and gold. The scene is avant-garde and surreal, with twisted trees reaching upward into a blazing sky. Brushstrokes are wild and expressive, capturing a mystical, enchanted atmosphere. The fox appears wise and sly, as if aware of hidden secrets, standing out against the ethereal woodland haze. The overall style is haunting yet sweet, creating a dreamlike fusion of forest beauty and untamed wildness.
Variation - Fiery Red Fox (Choka)
The prompt to the AI was nearly identical to the previous prompt, however here I specified that the prompt be in the form of a choka (a haiku-like form of poetry).
Prompt to AI
Create a prompt for an avant-garde painting of a fox in an autumn forest. Make the prompt in the form of a relatively brief choka.
Poem
Rustling leaves ablaze,
a fox weaves through forest flames,
gold and amber air.
Shapes distort in dancing light,
red fur blends with falling fire.
Brushstrokes wild and bold,
trees twist into haunted forms—
the forest alive.
Revised Prompt
An avant-garde painting of a fox in an autumn forest. The fox moves through a forest ablaze with swirling colors of gold, amber, and red. Shapes and brushstrokes are wild and bold, distorting the trees into haunting, abstract forms. The forest appears alive, with a surreal atmosphere, as if the fox and fiery leaves blend together in a dance of light and shadow. The overall feel is intense and abstract, capturing a mystical, almost otherworldly scene with a bold avant-garde style.
Variation - Fauvist Lover's Sonnet
For this prompt to the AI, I explored Fauvism and using a sonnet. ChatGPT returned two sonnets, and I made an image from both. Which do you prefer?
Prompt to AI
Create a prompt for a Fauvist watercolor painting of a woman and a man under a twisting tree in a field at the top of a high cliff in the summer. Make the prompt in the form of a sonnet.
Poem #1
Upon a cliff where wildflowers blaze and sway,
A couple stands beneath a twisted tree.
The colors bold, in hues that dance and play,
Their forms alive with sunlit energy.
Her dress a burst of reds and blazing gold,
His jacket blue as sky that stretches wide.
The field around in violet waves unfolds,
As summer’s warmth ignites the mountainside.
With Fauvist strokes, the sea far down below
Is rich in greens, a swirling, vivid sight.
The cliff’s high edge makes breezes sharp and low,
Yet still they hold each other in the light.
In wild and wondrous hues their love does show,
Alive atop the world where fierce winds blow.
Revised Prompt
A Fauvist watercolor painting of a woman and a man under a twisting tree at the top of a high cliff in summer. Bold, vibrant colors fill the scene in Fauvist style. The woman's dress is a burst of red and gold, while the man's jacket is bright blue. They stand together, surrounded by violet wildflowers swaying in the breeze. The cliff edge is dramatic, overlooking a vivid green sea below, with swirling, intense colors. The tree above twists in a whimsical shape, and the whole scene is filled with wild, warm, and lively hues capturing love and summer's energy.
Poem #2
Upon a cliff where fierce wildflowers grow,
A man and woman stand beneath the shade
Of twisted tree that feels the ocean’s flow,
In Fauvist hues, their forms in colors made.
The sky is bold, as blue as dreams can be,
The fields ablaze in reds and greens so bright.
The couple glows beside the twisted tree,
In vibrant strokes that dance with summer light.
Below, the sea, a roaring splash of blue,
Yet calm they stand, as if the world’s at rest.
With watercolor wild and fierce in hue,
They find a love atop the cliff’s high crest.
A vivid world, where passion paints the scene—
A Fauvist tale in strokes of red and green.
Revised Prompt
A Fauvist watercolor painting of a man and woman standing beneath a twisted tree on a high cliff in summer. The cliff is filled with vibrant wildflowers, with bold, Fauvist hues in intense reds, greens, and blues. The couple stands calmly together, illuminated by vivid strokes of color that capture the warm summer light. The sky is a brilliant, dreamlike blue, and the ocean below is a fierce splash of blue waves against the cliffside. The scene is dramatic and passionate, with abstract, expressive brushstrokes evoking energy and love atop the cliff.
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