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Check whether a poem was written by AI

You can check a poem with Winston AI if it has at least 80 words. Shorter poems can't be scored, and short texts give any detector little to go on, so treat results on poetry with extra caution. For short forms, check several poems by the same writer together, then read the highlighted lines alongside drafts.

  • 99.4% accurate
  • Free to try
  • 14 languages
  • Sentence-level results
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Key facts

  • Texts need at least 80 words to be scored, which rules out most haiku and many short poems.

    Source: AI Detector

  • Winston AI highlights each sentence: red for likely AI, yellow for mixed signals.

    Source: AI Detector

  • Winston AI supports 14 languages, so poems in Spanish, French or German can be checked in their own language.

    Source: AI detector in Spanish, French, German and more

What changes when you check poems

  • Most poems are short

    A haiku has three lines and many lyric poems fit on an index card. Below 80 words Winston won't score a text, and even above it, a short poem gives any detector far less to work with than an essay.

  • Punctuation decides the sentences

    Highlights are given sentence by sentence. A poem with little punctuation can come back as a few very long sentences, which makes line-level judgments harder.

  • Formal verse is predictable by design

    Rhyme schemes and meter narrow the words a poet can choose. That constraint can make a carefully crafted sonnet read more predictable than free verse.

  • Stock images cut both ways

    Hearts, oceans, stars and seasons appear in countless human poems and in AI-written ones. Familiar imagery alone tells you very little.

How to check poems

  1. Step 1: Paste the poem with its line breaks

    Paste the text as written. Leave out the title, epigraph and author bio.

  2. Step 2: Combine short poems from one writer

    If single poems fall under 80 words, check several poems by the same writer in one scan. Never mix writers in one check.

  3. Step 3: Read the highlighted lines, not just the score

    Look at which lines are highlighted and whether they are the poem's most generic or its most specific moments.

  4. Step 4: Ask about the process

    Drafts, notebooks or a reading where the poet talks through their choices tell you more than any score on a short text.

Poems are among the hardest texts to judge for AI. They're short, they bend grammar on purpose, and good ones surprise you. Winston AI can check a poem of 80 words or more and highlight which lines read as machine-written, but poetry needs a lighter touch than an essay. This page explains why, and how to check verse fairly.

Why short texts need extra caution

A detector compares patterns across many sentences. A 12-line poem may contain only a handful, so a single unusual line can swing the result. Treat any score on a short poem as a weak signal and look for other evidence before drawing conclusions.

For poetry classes and contests

If AI use matters for a class or contest, say so in the rules and ask for something only the poet can provide: drafts, a short note on how the poem changed, or a reading. A detector result is most useful as a reason to ask for those, not as a verdict.

Questions about checking poems

Still unsure? Browse our guides or ask our team.

Can an AI detector tell if a poem was written by AI?

Sometimes, with limits. Winston AI can score a poem of 80 words or more and highlight lines that read as machine-written, but short verse gives any detector little to judge, so treat results with caution.

Why won't it scan my haiku?

Texts need at least 80 words to be scored. For short forms, check several poems by the same writer together.

Does rhyme make a poem look AI-written?

It can make a poem read more predictable, because rhyme and meter narrow word choice. That's one reason to read the highlights in context rather than react to the score.

Can I check song lyrics?

Yes, the same way as a poem: paste at least 80 words, leave out repeated choruses if they dominate the text, and read the results with the same caution.

Can I check a poem for free?

Yes. You can check up to 800 words on our site without an account.

Check other kinds of writing

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Paste the text to see which sentences read as machine-written. Sign up free when you want to keep your reports.

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