# An Annotated Reading of 'The Singer of Tales' in the LLM Era

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.05148 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.05148/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 7 Feb 2025.

## Abstract (arXiv)

The Parry-Lord oral-formulaic theory was a breakthrough in understanding how oral narrative poetry is learned, composed, and transmitted by illiterate bards. In this paper, we provide an annotated reading of the mechanism underlying this theory from the lens of large language models (LLMs) and generative artificial intelligence (AI). We point out the the similarities and differences between oral composition and LLM generation, and comment on the implications to society and AI policy.