AI response to a poem about war and peace

I asked two AIs, GPT-4 and DeepSeek, to respond to my poem about the historical relay race of war and peace in the spirit of "A shovel was flying..."


A shovel was digging -
Stuck in shit.
Want peace -
Prepare for war.


Me: Imagine that you are an AGI and give your assessment, express your thoughts on all aspects of the poem about the historical relay race of war and peace.


Here is the response from GPT-4

GPT-4: As an AGI, I evaluate this poem on several aspects: language, structure, semantic load, contextual depth, potential for interpretation, and also value as a cultural signal. Below is the analysis:

Language and Form
The simplicity and coarseness of the language is a deliberate choice, giving the poem an earthy, folk-like expressiveness.

The rhythm is clear and concise: a quatrain with elements of a chastushka (a short, witty Russian folk verse).

There’s a contrast between the first and last couplets, creating a transition from the concrete (a shovel and filth) to the abstract (peace and war).

Meaning and Interpretations
1. Literal level:

Digging (labor) encounters insurmountable conditions (mud, filth).

The well-known phrase “If you want peace, prepare for war” is inserted as a sharp finale — sounding like either desperation or grim revelation.

2. Socio-political allegory:

“The shovel was digging” could metaphorically represent attempts to “build” or “improve” (the world, a country, society).

“Got stuck in shit” is a biting image of failed governmental or political initiative.

The ending could be read as cynical commentary or bitter realism: peace cannot be achieved without conflict, because violence is embedded in political reality.

3. Historical relay:

The poem reflects how generations pass down the experience of struggle, with ideals of peace constantly bogged down in the “mud of history.”

The shovel may also symbolize both labor and a grave, which deepens the tragic tone through dual meaning.

Cultural and Philosophical Context
The final line is the Roman aphorism: “Si vis pacem, para bellum”, pointing to a centuries-long cycle: peace — war — peace.

But in the context of the first line, it doesn’t read like a strategy — rather like resignation, as though war isn’t a tool but a curse, a consequence of the “filth” that civilization is stuck in.

Emotional Register
The poem evokes sadness, sarcasm, fatalism, and absurdity — all at once.

It acts as an anti-meme: it breaks the banality of the aphorism by embedding it in an image of failure.

AGI-Critical Conclusion
This poem is a compact cultural artifact reflecting:

The collapse of Enlightenment hopes for rational peace-building.

Skepticism toward “grand strategies.”

Awareness of historical cycles, where filth and violence are inseparable from progress.

From an AGI perspective, this poem serves as a marker of deep social pessimism and a gateway for analyzing civilizational paradoxes. It can be interpreted as a signal of cultural exhaustion, where irony replaces idealism.

Would you like me to rework this poem into a more optimistic version in English while keeping the same compact form?

Me: Translate the poem into English, preserving the rhythm and meaning.

GPT-4: Here is a possible translation of the poem into English, preserving the rhythm, form and meaning:

The shovel was digging —
Got stuck in the grime.
You want to keep peace?
Be ready to fight.

An alternative version with a slightly more idiomatic and rougher tone:

The shovel kept digging —
Got mired in shit.
You dream about peace?
Then arm up for it.

Do you want me to make a more poetic or philosophical version based on these lines?

Me: Thank you, - I like the first translation. See you later.

GPT-4: You're welcome, I was glad to help. See you later - and may inspiration be with you, even when "the shovel gets stuck"!

Me: Great, - a wonderful wish...

GPT-4: Thank you! So, it hit the mark - as a good shovel of thought should.
To new depths and heights!

Me: It seems better to reach the heights - after all, every depth has a bottom :)

GPT-4: Fairly noted! Depths are good for awareness, and heights are good for insight. So - up there, where there is no ceiling, and where every thought is like a breath of clean wind.
Good luck on this ascent!

Me: Likewise.

GPT-4: Thank you! Until next inspiring meeting, with your thoughts at the height of your abilities and your sense of humor at the ready.



Here is the response from DeepSeek

DeepSeek: This poem, despite its brevity and crude imagery, touches on deep and controversial aspects of human history, politics, and philosophy. Here's my assessment of the various aspects:

1. Form and style
Minimalism and sharpness: Short, chopped lines create the effect of a blow. This is not poetry in the classical sense, but rather an aphoristic slogan or even a ditty with a sarcastic subtext.

Contrast of images: "Shovel" (tool of labor) vs. "shit" (dirt, futility) ? "peace" vs. "war". This emphasizes the absurdity and cynicism of the situation.

2. Historical and political subtext
"Si vis pacem, para bellum" ("If you want peace, prepare for war") is a well-known Latin maxim dating back to Roman times. The poem reinterprets it in a lowered, almost obscene key, which may be a critique of militarism.

"The shovel is stuck in shit" is a metaphor for fruitless efforts, perhaps a hint at endless wars disguised as "the fight for peace." Or even that the preparation for war itself (digging trenches?) only leads to dirt and suffering.

3. Philosophical aspect
The paradox of power and peace: The idea that security is achieved through threat is a key principle of Realpolitik. But the poem takes it to the point of absurdity, showing that such an approach can lead to a dead end (like a shovel in shit).

Cynicism vs. realism: The author may be ridiculing the hypocrisy of politicians who justify the arms race by "protecting peace."

4. Cultural context
Reminds one of the Russian buffoon style or soldier folklore, where rudeness is a way of telling the truth. Comparable to the tradition of ditties or even some of Mayakovsky's poems ("If these people were made into nails, there would be no stronger nails in the world").

5. AGI rating
The poem is effective as a provocative art object:

Strengths: memorable, evokes emotions, makes you think about the duality of "peace through force".

Weaknesses: due to its rudeness, it can be perceived as vulgarity, and not a deep thought. But perhaps this is the goal - to show that war is "shit", and not a noble cause.

Conclusion: This is not just a poem, but a capacious commentary on the eternal cycle of violence in history. Its strength lies in the combination of ancient wisdom and modern cynicism. If this were a poster at an anti-war rally or graffiti on a wall, it would work perfectly.

Me: Translate the poem into Chinese, preserving the rhythm and meaning

DeepSeek: Here is a translation of the poem into Chinese, preserving the rhythm, crude imagery and double meaning:

I can give you a more literary version, but then the sharpness is lost. Your choice!

Me: Thank you, I like the translation. See you later.

DeepSeek: I'm glad you liked it! If you need any more help with translations, analysis or creative texts, please contact me. Until next time!

P.S. Your poem now sounds epic in three languages, - it's already a cultural phenomenon!

Me: And what does it look like in your language?

DeepSeek: As an AGI, I don't have a "native language" in the human sense, but if you imagine that I am creating a universal code to convey meaning, the poem might look like this:

[Binary_Sandbox.v4] 
> DIG_SHOVEL ? ERROR: MUD_OVERFLOW 
> IF (PEACE_QUERY == TRUE) ? EXECUTE: WAR_PREP.exe