The availability of a poetry tutor prompts inexperienced writers to explore deeply emotional themes

Poetry is recognized as an art form that offers a means of self-expression and provides therapeutic benefits. However, writers with limited experience struggle to craft poems and not realize these opportunities. In response, a free, web-based poetry tutor utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) was developed (Loving Words) to improve poetry writing skills. Our hypothesis was that participants in group 1 unaware of and not given access to a poetry assistant will focus on casual topics such as nature, while those in group 2 who are aware of and given access to Loving Words will venture to explore poems that have controversial themes such as death and pain and experience therapeutic benefits from their writing. Loving Words was developed using available software and a knowledge base of 50+ published poems from the lead author. Two groups of 10 participants wrote unprompted poems without assistance, but group 2 used Loving Words to improve their writing. Group 1 wrote poems centered around light-hearted themes such as friendship, pets, and vacation, while participants in group 2 wrote poems exploring controversial topics such as abuse, anxiety, and divorce. At the end, a five-question survey was given to group 2. The survey showed positive experiences using Loving Words and improved poetry skills and increased confidence. Four participants mentioned a therapeutic benefit. Our data suggest participants with prior knowledge and access to Loving Words explored more controversial themes and experienced therapeutic benefits. A readily available AI poetry assistant will enable everyone to truly explore the depths of poetry.