26/01/2023                                                                            
                                    
                                    
                                                                        
                                        DAZZLING DARJEELING: Probably the first AI-generated poems on Darjeeling
Writes: Upendra Chettri 
I am sure you all are aware of ChatGPT, an AI program developed by openai. While playing around with it, I asked the AI to write an ode to Darjeeling, and below is the result. And just for fun, I asked the AI to write a satire on Darjeeling and it's quite hilarious and surreal at the same time. Amazing how far and advanced has Science and Technology progressed!
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Ode to Darjeeling
Oh Darjeeling, land of tea and hills,
Where the air is fresh and the views are thrill,
A place of beauty, so rare and divine,
An ode to thee, this verse of mine.
In the Himalayan foothills, you stand tall,
A town of history, culture and all,
Your tea plantations, green and vast,
A sight that leaves us breathless at last.
The people of Darjeeling, warm and kind,
Their hospitality, one of a kind,
A melting pot of diverse cultures,
Their traditions, an eclectic fusion.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway,
A marvel of engineering, truly amazing,
A ride that takes us through the hills,
A journey of beauty, one that stills.
From the Mall Road to the Monasteries,
Darjeeling's charm is truly hard to miss,
A place that leaves us with a heart full,
And memories that we'll cherish.
Oh Darjeeling, land of tea and hills,
We sing your praise, with hearts and wills,
A place that we hold dear and true,
An ode to thee, forever anew.
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Satire on Darjeeling
Darjeeling, the land of tea and hills,
Where the air is fresh, but the politics gives you the chills.
The people, warm and friendly on the surface,
But beneath it all, a political circus.
The tea plantations, a sight to behold,
But the wages of the workers, barely enough to hold,
The beauty of the hills, marred by corruption and greed,
The true Darjeeling, not all that it seems to be indeed.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway,
A marvel of engineering, but the ticket prices, oh so scary,
A ride that's sure to be thrilling,
But the seats cramped and the views, not really thrilling.
The Mall Road and the Monasteries,
Are tourist hotspots, but the locals have no access to these,
Darjeeling's beauty, a facade, a show,
A place that's losing its true essence, don't you know?
So if you're looking for a quaint hill station,
Darjeeling might not be your destination,
But if you're looking for a political satire,
Then Darjeeling is the place, it's quite contrary.
[In pic: "Morning at Darjeeling", Hiroshi Yoshida, 1931. Source: Smithsonian Institute]