Overview

Today I am going to take a handwritten poem and use generative AI tools to read the handwriting into computer text. I tried ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini (Nano Banana). The poem was handwritten from an existing poem by my son Cosmo 11yo. Take a look at the original image, then the final version I approved myself (a human). I’ll then 🏆Award the Winners🏆. As an appendix I’ll get onto all the technical detail.

Here is the source poem. Click for a better view:

As you can see the poem is written in pencil, straddles multiple lines, the lines themselves wave up and down, some bits are scribbled out and a lot of the writing is hard to make out: even for a human. So how can a computer possibly read this?

Final Version – What a Human(POH) would have created

I’m Stuck in Your Kindle – 01.01.2026

Hello you, I can see you right there.
Why are you looking at me with that stare?

Don’t you have something better to do?
Well, I can stand here and stare at you too.

It isn’t too nice to lean up too close,
Especially when I can see up your nose.

Who are you, pal? What do you want?
Won’t you say something or should I just taunt?

Nothing to say then nothing to tell?
I think I will leave you, I bid you farewell.

An invisible wall? Who put this here?
You best not be laughing or starting to jeer!

There must be a door or a window somewhere!
I’ll try once again, I’ll exit from here.

Another side, another wall.
What are these walls that I can’t see at all?

Listen pal, you trying to swindle?
Why am I STUCK IN YOUR KINDLE!

---

In loving memory of Emma Lockwood
written out by Cosmo unofficially based on I’m Stuck in your Kindle by Wally

I’ll start with the final version that a human would have produced (POH). This is after typing out on a keyboard, repeatedly making typos, editing, collating and rechecking. Now we can get back to what the GenAI tools can do, starting with just the first step of creating rough text from the image.

🏆Results and Awards🏆

Winner: 🏆Claude Opus 4.5🏆

• ✅Got all the words correct – this time
• ✅Fantastic instruction following to cleanup and format for publication
• 🤷Transcribed words all lumped together losing original formatting

Runner Up: 🥈ChatGPT 5.2🥈

• ✅Took the trouble to put its transcription on lines matching the lines on the paper
• ✅Validation easy because words corelated with the place on the handwritten note so it was great to validate by eye. GenAI always requires close checking so this is much appreciated. None of them are going to one-shot every source.
• 🤷Got some words wrong, but these were easy to correct as above and no tool gets all transcriptions 100%.
• ✅Fantastic instruction following to cleanup and format for publication

Needs Work: 🤷Google Gemini 3🤷

• ✅Got all the words correct – this time
• 🤷Transcribed words all lumped together losing original formatting
• ❌Shockingly bad formatting for publication. Poor instruction following.

Appendix – Technical Details

Step 1/2 – First Scan

This is my son's handwritten version of a poem he likes. can you transcribe it please

ChatGPT – First scan, no editing

Im stuck in your kindle 01.01.2026

Hello you. I can see you right there, why are looking at
me with that stare? Don’t you have something better to do,
well i can stand here and stare at you to. It isn’t too
nice to lean up too close. especially when i can see up your
nose. who are you pal? what do you want? Wont
you say something or shake i just havent
nothing to say then nothing to tell? i think i will leave
you i bid you farewell. An invisible wall?
who put this wall here? You best not best not be
laughing or starting to leer! There must be a
door or a window somewhere! I’ll try once
again I’ll exit from here. Another side another
wall. what are these walls that
I cant see at all listen pal you trying to
swindle why iam, STUCK IN
YOUR KINDLE!

In loving memory of Emma

As you can see, ChatGPT did a good job putting the words on the correct lines in faithful recreation of the source handwriting. It made some errors e.g. "shake i just havent nothing to say" is actually "should I just taunt nothing to say" (raw). "nothing" is actually "nothinig"(raw).
It also said "In loving memory of Emma" when it is actually "In loving memory of Emme"

Claude – First scan, no editing

01.01.2026

Hello you. I can see you right there. Why are you looking at me with that stare? Don’t you have something better to do. Well, I can stand here and stare at you to. It isn’t too nice to lean up too close. Especially when I can see up your nose. Who are you, pal? What do you want? Won’t you say something or should I just taunt nothing to say then nothing to tell? I think I will leave you I bid you farewell. An invisible wall? Who put this here? You best not best not be laughing or starting to jeer! There must be a door or a window somewhere! I’ll try once again I’ll exit from here. Another side another wall. What are these walls that I can’t see at all. Listen pal, you trying to swindle, why am I STUCK IN YOUR KINDLE!

In loving memory of Emme

Claude just dumped all the text together and removed what words appeared on what lines of the source handwriting. It made some errors e.g. "nothing" is actually "nothinig"(raw).

Google Gemini – First scan, no editing

<u>IM stuck in your kindle</u>

Hello you. I can see you right there. why are looking at me with that stare? Don’t you have somthing better to do, well i can stand here and stare at you to. It isnt too nice to lean up too close. especialy when i can see up your nose. who are you, pal? what do you want? Won’t you say somthing or should i just taunt nothinig to say then nothing to tell? i think i will leave you I bid you farewell. An invisible wall? who put this wall here? You best not best not be laughing or starting to jeer! There must be a door or a window somewhere! I’ll try once again I’ll exit from here. Another side another wall. what are these walls that I cant see at all listen pal are you trying to swindle why am i STUCK IN YOUR KINDLE!

In loving memory of Emma

Gemini also just dumped all the text together and removed what words appeared on what lines of the source handwriting. It made some errors e.g. "nothing" is actually "nothinig"(raw). However a separate run of Gemini that I did as a proof of concept did retain the literal errors and that version had "nothinig". So with some prompting I feel confident users would be able to get Gemini to emit the handwriting including all the actual source human errors.

Step 2/2 – Format for Publication

Now we get to the stage of taking the computer text and recreating the words in poem form. I asked each of them:

please clean up the poem ready for publication. clean up spellings, formatting.

i'd prefer rhymes on separate lines. e.g.

Hello you, NEWLINE
I can see you right there. NEWLINE
Why are you looking at me with that stare? NEWLINE

Claude – Format for Publication

I’m Stuck in Your Kindle

Hello you,
I can see you right there.
Why are you looking at me with that stare?

Don’t you have something better to do?
Well, I can stand here and stare at you too.

It isn’t too nice to lean up too close,
Especially when I can see up your nose.

Who are you, pal?
What do you want?
Won’t you say something or should I just taunt?

Nothing to say then nothing to tell?
I think I will leave you, I bid you farewell.

An invisible wall?
Who put this here?
You best not be laughing or starting to jeer!

There must be a door or a window somewhere!
I’ll try once again, I’ll exit from here.

Another side, another wall.
What are these walls that I can’t see at all?

Listen pal, you trying to swindle?
Why am I stuck in your Kindle!

In loving memory of Emme

ChatGPT – Format for Publication

I’m Stuck in Your Kindle

01.01.2026

Hello you,
I can see you right there.
Why are you looking at me
With that stare?

Don’t you have something
Better to do?
Well, I can stand here
And stare at you too.

It isn’t too nice
To lean up too close,
Especially when
I can see up your nose.

Who are you, pal?
What do you want?
Won’t you say something,
Or don’t you just can’t?

I have nothing to say,
And nothing to tell.
I think I will leave you,
I bid you farewell.

An invisible wall?
Who put this here?
You’d best not be laughing
Or starting to leer.

There must be a door
Or a window somewhere.
I’ll try once again,
I’ll exit from here.

Another side,
Another wall.
What are these walls
That I can’t see at all?

Listen, pal,
Are you trying to swindle?
Now do you see why I’m
STUCK IN YOUR KINDLE!

In loving memory of Emma

Google Gemini – Format for Publication

This is much worse than the others!

I’m Stuck in Your Kindle

January 1, 2026

Hello you, I can see you right there. Why are you looking at me with that stare?

Don’t you have something better to do? Well, I can stand here and stare at you too.

It isn’t too nice to lean up too close, Especially when I can see up your nose!

Who are you, pal? What do you want? Won’t you say something, Or should I just taunt?

Nothing to say, Then nothing to tell? I think I will leave you, I bid you farewell.

An invisible wall? Who put this wall here? You best not, best not be laughing, Or starting to jeer!

There must be a door, Or a window somewhere! I’ll try once again, I’ll exit from here.

Another side, another wall. What are these walls That I can’t see at all?

Listen, pal, Are you trying to swindle?

WHY AM I STUCK IN YOUR KINDLE!

In loving memory of Emme