THIS IS JUST TO SAY: GUESSING GAME

Poetry, synthetic voices, and what makes us human

This is just to say

I made a video
for students to guess –
human or AI?

It went well,
so fun,
so full of surprise.

I’ve already shared a few activities based on William Carlos Williams’ This Is Just to Say – a true masterpiece of modern poetry and a real gem for teaching.

This time, I wanted to focus more on reciting it. As a warm-up, and a way to get students to listen to it at least five times (or even ten, if they ask to repeat, and they will), I created a short listening game. In this activity, students have to guess whether they hear a human voice or AI.

How to use it in the classroom

Step 1. Start with a discussion about synthetic voices. What do your students know about AI-generated speech? Have they ever encountered synthetic voices in everyday life (e.g., virtual assistants, audiobooks, announcements)?

If you’ve already tried The Gift of the Magi with your students, this question may be a bit redundant. In that case, proceed with the instructions for the game: listen to the voices and identify which ones are human. Bonus – 1 point for a correct guess! Extra challenge – explain why you think so or what makes the voice sound human.

Step 2. Play the recordings of the poem, one by one. Ask students to take notes on what they hear – tone, rhythm, clarity, and any other features.

Step 3. Have students make their guesses. Which voice sounds the most natural? What makes them think so?

Answer Key (Reveal time… ta-daaam!)

The only human voice is the last one (#5) – it’s William Carlos Williams himself, recorded in 1950. The other voices are AI-generated.

Discussion Questions:

Human vs. AI – What makes a voice feel human? Discuss elements like emotion, intonation, and imperfections. Would students have guessed correctly without knowing AI was involved?

Now, proceed to the reciting part, happily chanting: ‘Imperfections make us human!’

I’m planning a short session on synthetic voices and how to play around with them in the near future. If you’re curious, stay tuned!

More Poetry in the Classroom activities: