I've used FREE Artificial Intelligence tools to create biographies, poems and songs about my ancestors lives, genealogy research, and family history in the recent past. Today, I want to share a poem and a song about my third great-grandfather, Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825).
(image created by ChatGPT4)
I uploaded a PDF of my blog post 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 25: #32, Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) which has all of the information I have about Benjamin's life.
1) The prompt I used was: "Please write a poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) based on the attached document."
2) I chose the poem created by Grok 3 today:
THE YEOMAN'S TALEBeneath November’s frost, in seventeen ninety-one,Benjamin Seaver’s tale was begun.Westminster’s soil, his cradle and call,A farmer’s life, he embraced it all.Son of Benjamin and Martha fair,In Worcester’s heart, he drew his air.A yeoman strong, with plow in hand,He tilled the earth, his native land.When war drums beat in eighteen-twelve,He marched with Rice, his courage swelled.A militia man, steadfast and true,Through battle’s haze, his spirit grew.His father passed, the will unfurled,A tenth of wealth from that old world.Fifty-one acres, rods to spare,A home farm’s burden he’d bear.To siblings young, he paid their due,Twenty-eight dollars, each share grew.Then Abigail Gates, with vows so sweet,In March of seventeen, their hearts would meet.Four children graced their humble days,Abigail, Lucinda, in tender ways,Isaac to carry the name ahead,Young Benjamin, too soon to tread.Land he bought, and land he sold,A dance of deeds, both shy and bold.From Kendal’s plot to Thurston’s green,His farmer’s dream in fields was seen.The census marked his fleeting reign,A household small, a life’s refrain—A man of youth, a wife so near,A daughter’s laugh, the hearth to cheer.But May’s cruel hand, in twenty-five,Snuffed out a soul still young, alive.At thirty-three, his labor ceased,In Whitmanville, his bones released.Abigail stood, with children four,A widow’s grief at fate’s hard door.“Unacquainted,” she softly cried,Yet guarded them, her strength defied.An estate once rich, a thousand strong,Fell insolvent, its wealth gone wrong.Through fields he loved, his shadow fades,A yeoman rests in silent glades.
3) Here is the AI created song and lyrics for "The Yeoman's Tale" (with song lyrics created on Claude Sonnet 3.7 used as custom lyrics on Suno.com), using a family pop style in a medium tempo:
THE YEOMAN'S TALE
Verse 1
Born in Westminster town, seventeen ninety-one
Martha and Benjamin's son, a new life begun
On Massachusetts soil he grew, strong and tall
November winds blew cold, when they heard his first call
Verse 2
He answered duty's call in eighteen and twelve
Into war with the British, young Benjamin delved
Captain Rice's company, standing brave and true
Returned to his homeland when fighting was through
Chorus
Benjamin Seaver, a farmer's tale
Thirty-three years, too short to prevail
But seeds that he planted still grow to this day
Though his time was brief, his legacy stays
Verse 3
Took Abigail Gates to be his bride
Four children blessed them, standing side by side
With plow and deed, he built their tomorrow
Not knowing fate would soon bring such sorrow
Chorus
Benjamin Seaver, a farmer's tale
Thirty-three years, too short to prevail
But seeds that he planted still grow to this day
Though his time was brief, his legacy stays
Verse 4
Land changed hands as he worked the soil
Building a future through honest toil
From father to son, the acres passed down
A yeoman's life in that small New England town
Bridge
In Whitmanville Cemetery, a stone marks the ground
Where a husband and father too early was found
Abigail carried on, with children to raise
While Benjamin's memory faded with days
But blood runs strong through the Seaver line
His son Isaac's children, branching through time
Chorus
Benjamin Seaver, a farmer's tale
Thirty-three years, too short to prevail
But seeds that he planted still grow to this day
Though his time was brief, his legacy stays
Outro
Two centuries gone, his story retold
In documents yellowed and memories old
Benjamin Seaver, remember the name
A life not measured by years, but by flame
The AI tools do this so much better than I could, and weaves the poem and song along a story theme that is true and heartfelt. Each tool provides a different poem and song from the same prompt --I love fishing in all of the AI streams!! Frankly, doing the poems and song are the most genealogy fun I have every week!
4) These stories, told in verse and song, are part of my genealogy and family research. My hope is that they will be passed down to my grandchildren and their descendants to highlight the importance of sharing stories, memories, admiration, and love of our ancestors. I will add them to my Google Drive and to my YouTube channel and my FOREVER account.
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My blog posts with the AI-created poems and songs to date are on this AI and Genealogy Compendium page.
Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver
The URL for this post is: https://www.geneamusings.com/2025/03/the-yeomans-tale-family-history-poem.html
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