In reply to:

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A true artist is always striving to equal his/her last piece; not surpass it.

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That's an interesting take. But the distinction between "equalling" and "surpassing", especially, in relation to poetry, is so arbirtary as to be almost insignificant unless you're just talking about personal preference. As long as you are writing, you are progressing in some way. It's inevitable because when you write Poem B, you've gained more experiences and influences than you had when you wrote Poem A.

To equal a work would be to transcribe it verbatim. I don't knokw what surpassing would be.

Oh for God's sake, don't let that Coca Cola thing out!