Repetitive traps

[Meow Mix]

Does anyone else fall into repetitive traps writing poetry?

When I write, I do a stream of consciousness-style thing where usually the first thing that blurts to the page just works in some way, then I go back over and play with things.

But I always find myself starting with an invitation, and I try not to every time. I'm always trying to invite the reader to come look at this, follow me, come into this place. Maybe because that's what we're doing with poetry sometimes? We write for ourselves maybe, but it's an invitation when shared to follow in our footsteps. I let myself do it a lot of the times because of that, but then again, maybe it shouldn't be every time.

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

Does anyone else fall into repetitive traps writing poetry?

When I write, I do a stream of consciousness-style thing where usually the first thing that blurts to the page just works in some way, then I go back over and play with things.

But I always find myself starting with an invitation, and I try not to every time. I'm always trying to invite the reader to come look at this, follow me, come into this place. Maybe because that's what we're doing with poetry sometimes? We write for ourselves maybe, but it's an invitation when shared to follow in our footsteps. I let myself do it a lot of the times because of that, but then again, maybe it shouldn't be every time.

You mean you have a tendency to put a message in your poems rather than just being artistic and leave the way it's meant to be interpreted to others?

 

[Meow Mix]

You mean you have a tendency to put a message in your poems rather than just being artistic and leave the way it's meant to be interpreted to others?

I guess. Since I write stream-of-consciousness I feel like I’m taking the reader somewhere, so I feel the urge to talk to them

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

I guess. Since I write stream-of-consciousness I feel like I’m taking the reader somewhere, so I feel the urge to talk to them

It may be inevitable you take the reader into your world to an extent because the expression comes from you.
You also see that often in people who write novels, that aspects of their own life and personality become apparent.

Does it bother you that things are like this?

 

[Meow Mix]

It may be inevitable you take the reader into your world to an extent because the expression comes from you.
You also see that often in people who write novels, that aspects of their own life and personality become apparent.

Does it bother you that things are like this?

No, it just bothers me if my poems start being same-y because they’re all like “come with me, come look at this thing I’m going to draw an analogy with, can you feel this?”

 

[Brickjectivity]

Does anyone else fall into repetitive traps writing poetry?

Sure, because I wish to be as good some favorite poems and can't manage.

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

No, it just bothers me if my poems start being same-y because they’re all like “come with me, come look at this thing I’m going to draw an analogy with, can you feel this?”

Ah, I see.
I guess that's your style then.
If you wish to try something different, maybe it helps to pay attention to the things you are exposed to and possibly influence your thinking, such as a (sub)culture you associate or sympathize with, what your friends are like or music you listen to etc, and once you've found the borders of this proverbial box, you can look for something outside of it?
I can imagine this can be difficult though as you describe your means of inspiration as "stream-of-consciousness", which I assume you mean that you do a lot of this intuitively, in other words, rely on your subconscious mainly.

Not sure I'm in a position to give sound advice though, I don't do poetry much...

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

A year or so ago, I went through a surge where I read over some of the things I'd written over the past roughly half a century.

Most was absolute crap, and I ignored it.

Some of them I liked, but as I read through I found myself editing them, imposing meter and other schemes in ways that I've learned/relearned since I wrote them, tightening up some passages and loosening others.

I like the results better.

I always advise editing

 

[Windwalker]

Does anyone else fall into repetitive traps writing poetry?

I don't write poetry, but I do compose music, so different medium. Yes, there are times everything comes out the same and you get stuck in a rut of sounding almost formulaic. There are multiple factors.

Pay attention to the ego. It likes to get in there and grab juice for itself. I love that line from that Carly Simon song, "You've got one eye in the mirror as you watch yourself go by". Kind of like that. While you may begin writing from the heart, the insecure ego likes to look at itself in the mirror imagining a room full of fictional admirers who are astonished by your creativity and all fall to worship you, or something.

So art is in a real sense a spiritual path, where overcoming the ego, frees the heart to be true and authentic, rather than concerned about things like praise or rejection. Art and true religion have the same impulse, to transcend the small self.

Other factors can be you just need to expand your repertoire. Take a break and just listen/read others. Take in new fresh input, and then through osmosis, you've extended your own range as you interpret and translate though your own unique forms of expression. Art is more a developmental thing, than it is an acquired skill. Learning notes and playing them in sequence and forms, is not art yet.