Profanity
One common motif in the poems written by Charles Bukowski is the use of profanities. In many poems, the narrator does not shy away from using words considered by many as being vulgar and unfit to be found in literary works.
This is who I am
Another common motif found in the poems written by Bukowski is that he never tried to hide who he really was in reality. Bukowski never tried to pretend he was a righteous man and told the audience how he was a drunk who liked all women and who did not shy away from whores and other women with a questionable character.
The birds
In the poem entitled "8 count’’ the narrator describes himself watching a group of birds from his window. One by one, the birds flew from their places until the narrator was no longer able to see them. The birds are used here as a symbol to suggest the narrator’s inspiration and thus, by claiming that the birds flew away the narrator wanted to transmit the idea he had troubles finding inspiration.
Unreliable lifestyle
A common motif in the poems is the idea that writing does not give a person a stable income. The narrator struggles to make enough money from his writing to survive and he is not shy when recognizing this. Despite all the obvious hardships, the narrator is happy with the life he has and criticizes those who want to feel secure and to have a stable income.
Small room
In the poem entitled "About my tortures friend, Peter’’, the narrator urges the young man named Peter, to go in his room, close the door and just write. The narrator urges Peter to give up his dreams of having a good and wealthy life and just focus on writing. The narrator highlights how the room is a small one, making his friend understand how the life of a writer is far from being glamorous. Thus, the small room is used here as a symbol to suggest the sacrifices a writer must make for his or her art.
