March 20, 2025 Classic and Modern Writing Styles -- ChatGPT 4.o
I have repackaged the contents of this post to better contrast the writing styles of three authors, Alexandre Dumas, Ernest Hemingway, and William Shakespeare. Although more complete, the earlier version was long winded and contained too much detail.*
I also have deleted my three contemporary short stories as well as two-paragraph excerpts that were used to prompt ChatGPT to work its magic.
Near the end of the posts (directly above the authors' portraits) are links to other examples of writing syles from recent posts. Most include the some form of A I use including (ChatGPT, Gemini for text and Microsoft Image Creator and Whisk for image generation). A few remain unedited in my original format and style. There is a wide variety from which to choose--from Shakespeare to Comic Books.
The stories and excerpts have been replaced with a brief description (shown below) for each story that allows you, the reader, to focus more on the differing writing styles of these authors rather than becoming annoyed with my ineptness as a writer.
Alexandre Dumas. Prompt for ChatGPT: "Please rewrite the following two-paragraph excerpt from a short story using the writing style of Alexandre Dumas."
Description of the excerpt linked later in post*: The two paragraph excerpt from a short story entitled "Who Needs Brain Implants" elaborates on the potential good and evil that could result from the use of brain implants.
ChatGPT's Response:
Who Needs Brain Implants
It is a curious thing, my friend, to consider the wonders that the future may hold. Science, that ever-relentless conqueror of nature, marches forward, unchecked and unchallenged, shaping the world as a sculptor molds the marble. In time, it is said, man shall no longer suffer the frailties of his own flesh. Implants—mysterious devices wrought by human ingenuity—shall dwell within him, vigilant sentinels, repairing the delicate fibers of the mind, restoring the sinews of the body, rendering him, if not immortal, then at least far less vulnerable to the cruel whims of fate.
And yet—ah!—what a terrible abyss is opened when ambition outstrips virtue! For these marvels of science, these intricate mechanisms meant to heal and preserve, may well become the instruments of a most insidious enslavement. Imagine, if you will, a world in which every man, every woman, every child is bound by an invisible chain, their very thoughts tethered to the will of an unseen master. A mere flick of a switch—no swordplay, no battle cries, no smoke upon the field of war—and lo! A race of obedient phantoms, their wills extinguished, their hearts stilled by a force they cannot resist.
Would they laugh? Would they weep? No! They would march, speak, and toil as commanded, neither questioning nor resisting, for their minds would no longer belong to them. A society not of men, but of humanoids—of puppets who walk and talk, flesh and blood in form, yet in spirit, nothing more than machines. And who, I ask, would wield this infernal power? Not the many, but the few. The faceless architects of this new dominion, the unseen rulers who, from their gilded citadels, would govern a world of soulless vassals.
Ah, such a fate! To think that the fire of human liberty, that sacred flame kindled by heroes and martyrs, could be extinguished not by conquest, but by the silent treachery of progress! If ever that day should come, my friend, then woe to mankind, for its noblest battle shall not be fought with swords, but with the last, desperate whisper of a heart that still remembers what it is to be free.
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Ernest Hemingway. Prompt for ChatGPT: "Please rewrite the following two-paragraph excerpt from a short story using the writing style of Ernest Hemingway."
Description of the excerpt linked later in the post*: The two paragraph excerpt from a short story entitled "Defeat and Struggle" is a commentary on the outcome of a war not yet fought; however, it was written in past tense. The war did not end well.
ChatGPT's Response:
Defeat and Struggle
The war didn’t last long. Thirteen months. That was all. The enemy came in waves, and there were too many of them. Too many men, too many guns, too many bombs. The U.S. forces held on as long as they could, but in the end, it didn’t matter. They lost.
After that, there was no more fighting. No more resistance. The people knew it was over. They gave in. A council took over—generals and officials from other nations. They called it temporary, but nothing about it felt that way. The American leaders had run, scattered across the world, looking for a place to hide. There wasn’t one. They were caught. Every last one of them. The trials didn’t take long. Neither did the executions.
Then came the hard years. Twenty of them. The ones who had invaded fought among themselves, carving up the land like wolves over a carcass. They took what they could, bled the country dry. When it was over, Florida belonged to Cuba. The Southwest went back to Mexico. They said it was only fair. Almost two hundred years of history erased with a signature on a treaty.
No one talked about it much after that. People were too busy trying to get by.
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William Shakespeare. Prompt for ChatGPT: "Please rewrite the following two-paragraph excerpt from a short story using the writing style of William Shakespeare."
Description of the excerpt linked later in the post*: The two paragraph excerpt from a short story entitled "An Unexpected Visit" describes the first encounter with aliens who resemble human beings; however, compared to us, they are perfect in all respects with superior intellect. They have arrived to help us repair a genetic defect in our brain unknown to us that has limited our perception, development, and way of life.
ChatGPT's Response:
An Unexpected Visit
What fools were we to think ourselves alone,
The sovereign lords of boundless, starry realms!
For in the year of our Lord twice thrice a score and fifteen,
Came forth from realms beyond the ken of man
A race most strange, yet fair beyond compare.
Like unto us in form they did appear,
Yet touched by Heaven’s hand, unmarked by time.
No line did mar their brow, nor flesh did sag,
Nor wayward silver strands betrayed their years.
Whilst we, poor wretches of an errant fate,
Did bear the weight of age upon our backs,
With crooked spine and mottled, weary skin,
And bellies grown full-fat from idle sloth.
These strangers, silent watchers of our world,
Had gazed upon the folly of mankind
For countless ages past, and with keen eyes
Did mark our stumbling steps through time’s long path.
How slow we crept! How dull our minds remained!
And lo, the cause! A flaw within our blood,
A tainted strain that, ere ten thousand years,
Did clip the eagle’s wings and dull the sword.
Where other worlds did rise like fire-fed storms,
We lingered low, like embers in the dust.
Thus stood we then, poor heirs to broken thought,
Before those radiant beings of the stars,
And in their eyes beheld a mirror true—
A glimpse of what we were, and what we lacked.
Google Labs | AI Overiew. Analysis of Last Four Lines of An Unexpected Visit: Updated 04-01-2025. "What do the following four lines of poetic verse mean?"
"Thus stood we then, poor heirs to broken thought,
Before those radiant beings of the stars,
And in their eyes beheld a mirror true—
A glimpse of what we were, and what we lacked."
This poetic verse describes a moment of profound introspection and self-realization, where the speaker, feeling small and inadequate, looks up to the "radiant beings of the stars" and sees reflected in their eyes a clear image of their true selves, both their potential and their shortcomings, leading to a sense of humility and a yearning for something greater.
Breakdown of the imagery:
"Thus stood we then, poor heirs to broken thought":
This opening line establishes a feeling of vulnerability and a fractured state of mind. The word "heirs" suggests an inheritance not of wealth or power, but of brokenness, implying a sense of personal failure or lack of fulfillment.
"Before those radiant beings of the stars":
The "radiant beings of the stars" represent a higher power or ideal, something beyond human comprehension yet inspiring awe and reverence. They symbolize perfection and purity, contrasting with the speaker's brokenness.
"And in their eyes beheld a mirror true":
The stars' eyes act as a mirror, reflecting back the speaker's true self without distortion. This mirror image reveals both the potential within them and the flaws they have yet to address.
A glimpse of what we were, and what we lacked":
This final line summarizes the key insight gained from the reflection. The mirror shows not just who the speaker currently is, but also who they once were and who they could be, highlighting the gap between their current state and their potential.
And what about that date written for 2075, "in the year of our Lord twice thrice a score and fifteen"? It doesn't adhere to any conventional method of expressing the date now or in the past. Here is what Google Labs | AI Overiew had to say about that -- Literary License (pdf file). To apply this logic to another date, say 1064, if "score represents 1000 Years when used for the first two digits of a date beyond 1000 years, the expression might be "once thrice a score and four." Or, if the year were 1945 the quote may be "twice less thrice a score less five." [2000 - (3 x 20-5) = 1945] . . . or something like that to conform with the author's thinking process. It seems to resemble Roman Numerals, MCMXLV, where MM represents 2000, but deviates in an unconventional manner from thereon.
Overall, the verse captures a moment of self-awareness where the speaker is confronted with their own limitations but also inspired by the possibility of reaching a higher state of being, represented by the celestial beings.
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****Link to the earlier post containing links to the complete original short stories and excerpts (PDF file).
Similar ChatGPT and Gemini Edited Example:
Portrait of an Author (Poem - pdf files) posted February 18, 2025.
Similar Shakespearean Projects:
Fear Not the Reaper (pdf files) posted February 24, 2025.
How to Clean a Grooming Brush (pdf file) posted February 25, 2025.
Essays:
Composing Internet Posts and Stories (Another ThoughtsOfThomas publication (pdf file) posted February 20, 2025, unedited version.
Changing Styles in America (Humor - pdf files) posted February 18, 2025, unedited version.
Comic Books: (First try, not that great.) But check out Whisk if you get a chance in Whisk-Google.LabsFX.
The Adventures of Dr. Tulipa Voss, Episode 2 Mx. President and the New TUSA (Trust USA) Party. (pdf file) posted February 17, 2025, unfinished, unedited version.
The Adventures of Dr, Tulipa Voss, Episode 1 Lyra and the City Beneath the Ice. (pdf file) posted February 9, 2025, unedited, version.
