creative writing final assignment
Introduction to Creative Writing
29 October,2025
Introduction to Creative Writing
Part 1: ChatGPT Original Poem
Crossroads Above the Coast
Where ocean meets the mountain’s gentle rise,
I stood, cap in hand, beneath the fading skies.
The paths of youth behind me softly close,
While future roads unfold where no one knows.
Anacapa whispers with the scent of rain,
And Mission Canyon hums its old refrain.
I walked with thoughts as restless as the tide,
Dreaming of roads not taken, far and wide.
The sun sank low behind the western hill,
And all was quiet, yet my heart was still.
Perhaps the way ahead will call me home,
To find the truth in every place I roam.
Part 2: Revised Poem
The Gold Beneath the Hills
At the Santa Barbara Bowl, we stood — caps trembling in the sea breeze,
As the sun spilled gold over Shoreline Park, a promise and a goodbye.
Maria waved from the crowd, eyes bright as the Mission’s stones.
Beside me, James whispered, “This town never lets go, does it?”
Down Anacapa Street, the café lights of The Blue Owl began to bloom,
And somewhere on Mission Canyon Road, bells echoed like memory.
Later, we ate at Los Agaves, still in our gowns,
Salsa stains marking the joy of almost-grown hearts.
That night, I watched a YouTube drone fly above our town,
Its light tracing the hills where we once chased sunsets.
The New York Times called us the American Riviera,
But to me, it was just home — the place I learned
That endings shimmer only because they lead to beginning.
Annotations
Authenticity of Experience: The reworked piece captures my actual graduation experience at the Santa Barbara Bowl and relates to a legitimate, consequential life experience. These elements provide an emotionally transparent quality and a sense of authenticity, which I felt ChatGPT’s first version, more generic and meditative as it was, lacked.
Local Specificity: Each name I incorporated (Anacapa Street, Mission Canyon Road, The Blue Owl, Los Agaves, Old Mission Santa Barbara, and Shoreline Park) is named and place-based to the towns where I was raised.
Personal Connection: The inclusion of family and friends (Maria, James) provides a personal connection that I thought was missing from the other poem. The reflection of family and human connection on a more natural or local ideal is a recurring element in Frost’s pieces.
Media References: The revised version intentionally highlights each of the two media references:
The first, the drone tour of Santa Barbara, represents a nostalgic role of perspective.
The second, a New York Times article about Santa Barbara, exemplifies how outsiders often romanticize all aspects of Santa Barbara. Of course, my experience is very, very personal.
Voice and Style: My revision retains Frost’s contemplative and reflective tone and the natural imagery, but uses warmer, more contemporary language that sounds like my own. The revised version also embraces the duality of perspective vs individual reflection, reminding us that Frost builds the landscape surrounding personal reflection and metaphor for change and choice.
Symbolism: The “gold” light represents transformation, referring to both the setting sun at graduation and the golden promise of new journeys ahead.
Tone Change: ChatGPT’s version was abstract enough to apply easily to any coastal town. My revisions ground it heavily in the sensory, with elements such as the sea breeze, twinkling lights outside a café, and stains from inevitably spilled salsa. At the same time, we laughed, and emotional truth, all of which comply with the intent of this assignment to produce work that is “more true to my experience and voice.”
References
Adrian Vio. (2021, February 19). Santa Barbara California (4K UHD) BEAUTIFUL Nature, Sounds and Music by Drone [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1sKKZ22PR4
Moon, F. (2019). 36 Hours in Santa Barbara County. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/15/travel/what-to-do-36-hours-in-santa-barbara-county.html
