[Alexandra Baez]

Tony, I really like this, with or without the new first sonnet. To me, the second one stands on its own, and its compactness is the very essence of its charm and effectiveness. Throughout both sonnets, there’s unrelenting eloquence, deftness, tautness, texture, and depth.

In the first, I just wondered what “O” refers to until I saw Glenn’s decoding of it.

In the second, I took “synth” to mean “the synthetic”—close to what you intended, though not exactly. In any case, I don’t think you should let the relative obscurity of this word discourage you from using it, because it’s singularly apt here for the reasons you cited, and its etymology leads a reader in the right direction, at least.

I think that the off-meter of “doorjambs” works well in the context of doors being unscrewed from them.

I appreciate the subtle allusion to the Tyger and Blake’s theodicy. Most of the other allusions you mention passed over my conscious awareness, but I felt them resonating on a general mythic level.

To me, this is the most muscular, original, and driven poem—in two parts--about AI that I have yet come across. And of course, you know they’re the rage right now.