"For we are his workmanship (poiema), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance that we should do them." Ephesians 2:10. "
I read these words in the whole context
of the book of Ecclesiastes.
When “all is vanity”, what comes next?
“Excess” say some enthusiast-ees.
“Eat, drink, and be merry.” - Don't we lose
the goal - when pleasure's all we achieve.
"Work" is that prepared gift from God we use
for outcomes which man cannot unweave.
Even Solomon ends, this thought in mind
“Fear God and keep all His commandments.”
Ponder, if God is the judge, we'll find
in the final grave, rightful recompense.
Where the Lord's wisdom and strength are compromised,
labor loses when self is lionized.
I've spoken to a raindrop; It listened so intently in its special way
A life so blessed that I never want to end; my only wish is to stay
I've whispered to a raindrop; it offered me seclusion in its special way
Of my thoughts darkest collusion, a demon’s fire it would offer to slay
I've confided in a raindrop; It held onto my hand in its special way
Shared all my tears as they're hidden safely, my secrets discreetly stored away
I've divulged into a raindrop; it touched my salted cheeks in its special way
Special is the way, it asked me to walk with it, while it down poured for a day
I've disclosed into a raindrop; what my heart wouldn't dare in its special way
Next time I see the storm, I will listen, never leaking what it has to say
I've imparted to a raindrop; its value proposition is its special way
Within this budding liquid friendship our love is so much more fluid per se
I've lay bare into a raindrop; dysphoria concealed in a special way
So thankful, I am for all this rain, clouding another wonderful birthday
A message sent, an icon lights the screen,
Her heart skips with a hope—what will he say?
No flowers now, just words in lines between,
A digital courtship, love found this way.
She reads his thoughts, like whispers through the night,
A photo shared, a smile across the miles,
Though screens divide, emotions take their flight,
A growing bond, unseen but full of trials.
He types a pause, then waits for her reply,
No letters sealed, no hands that reach to hold,
Yet hearts connect, and neither can deny
The dance of love in forms both new and bold.
In virtual spaces, sparks ignite the flame,
Two souls entwined, though life is not the same
Desire balanced fulfilled
climax flight tolerance you
leave out on your Chinook
my breath within the wings
of the craft you are my mind
my sight my mind focused
hanger four we load the
cargo saying goodbye why
I cannot fathom I only whisper
sit down buckle your belt
and kiss me we shall meet
on the other side of the world
dance with me one more time
sing to me let's live like we
are dying cuddle me as
we embrace Tim mcgraw
lyrics I shall always remember
you when this air craft falls
on the wings of love my dove
Traumatic brain injury
traumatic headaches
intense frontal pain
temples are numb
quietly sends painful
signals throughout
my brain sometimes
my mind searches
for respites as the
pain swelling reaches
my optic nerve
radiating across my
skull thinking itch
my bones feel like
they are biting my brain
the muscles tense up
throbbing breaking
down my mood funny
I can’t focus so I breathe
pray this pain goes away
Traumatic brain injury
Association
A character study done here.
You always liked to stir things up.
Like a washer agitator
You thought your tactics a good touch.
Stirring, stirring until worn out
A good name you just loved to smear.
The fabric ripped, buttons cracked, gone.
Desiring to ruin a nonsuch.
You'd set the trap, you fishhook baiter.
Carrying on life, minutes later
You'll never change, your ways all set.
But sometimes now at life you clutch.
I had hoped you'd change soon, my dear
Doing your service still your waiter
This is actually a Bref Double poetry form but somewhat the same as Quatorzain.
In skies of blue, oh what a sight!
The cherry sun hung very bright,
my eyes closed basking in its light,
my cheeks burned from its fiery bite.
Its hot rays wrapped me from behind.
Soaked in sweat, our bodies aligned,
and our spirits were now entwined.
In its warm arms, I was spelled binned.
In abruptness, the heavens cried.
Dejected, I heavily sighed,
watching the dark clouds be a guide,
leading the sun away to hide.
Bidding farewell, I left its sight,
before the day turned into night.
awaken dreams night silence screams
till madness leaves from mourning trees
the sunshine breaths what daylight sees
a dawnings tease while lightness flees
a moonlight spies thru blinding eyes
when dusky cries cause twilight dies
across the skies the heart ache flies
and where it lies the sun will rise
some days in time the planets rhyme
then darkness climbs from its sublime
the shadows chime and do their mime
on daylight's dime like its a crime
before the day turned into night
the night turned day into the light
A weary road and stars that fall
This cannot be the end at all
The sun seems but a helpless ball
Yet I attempt to step and fall
I’ll not give up though darkness looms
Like suffocating empty rooms
And pushing never-ending brooms
To clean up all the broken blooms
Yet I remember days that shone
When not afraid and not alone
With warmth and grace, a rolling stone
A carefree life to ne’er disown
I long to dwell within the light
Before the day turned into night
Before the day turned into night,
my eyes I lifted to the light
and what I saw gave me a fright.
Black, bruised – an ominous sight!
Clouds shifted, swirling with the wind.
I could not tell where they would end.
I spotted the trees sway and bend,
hoping their branches could defend.
Running, clawing to get inside.
"Have mercy on me, please," I cried,
not wanting my backside deep-fried
by lightening that struck beside.
As I shut my welcoming door,
the skies loosed a raging downpour.
Before the day turned into night,
when the sunbeams whirl out of sight,
I'll seize garnet streaks of twilight,
let lamps within heart reignite.
Above hills of hope where stars sail~
quills powdered with gold shall prevail,
and I'll weave this unwritten tale,
dress scars of sky with beaded veil.
I'm a dreamer, longing to hear,
twinkling tunes from an eclipsed sphere,
where tides of love wouldn't be a fear,
while ivory shores unfold near.
I'm the artist of my own night,
drawing diamonds from lunar sight.
God grants each day with wondrous grace
Strength and peace* in running life’s race
Along triumphant vibrant pace
While challenges we dare to face.
Everyday serves as treasured gain
As we allow kindness to reign
Making it work well despite strain
Rejoicing with hope, smiting pain.
Yesterday was gift of delight
Midst faith-fueled achievement flight
Since the Lord truly met our plight
Before the day turned into night.
Tomorrow brings jubilant time
Expecting our gratitude chime.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
February 3, 2024
1st place, "Before The Day Turned Into Night" Quatorzain Poetry Writing Contest; Sponsored by Charles Messina; judged on 3/26/2024
Before the day turned into night
The shadows danced and stalked the light
The moon withheld, stayed out of sight
Then took its lone, nocturnal flight
Beyond horizons studded stars
Came into view above, afar –
They slowly crept from reaches far –
I thought to meet them where they are,
But they are of the night, not day
And are remote and far away
And like so many things today
They dwell in darkness, where they stay,
Elusive in their cosmic light
As day turns slowly into night –
Before the day turned into night
A nascent sun, spun brilliant light.
A vast kaleidoscope alight
Nature's tinted hues soothing sight.
Romance true nature, appeasing
Soul with its eyes and voice, pleasing
True aphrodisiac teasing
Even for a moment squeezing.
Then, slowly drawing a deep breath,
Parting footprints the daytime hath
Said, its turquoise depth parting death.
Mourn the day, single shibboleth.
Rhythm poetics feel to begin,
Fervor whisper snore from within.
1/30/2024
Before the Day morphed into Night,
a scarlet sun inked clouds of white.
And tinted the sky with its light;
a cotton candy pink delight.
Before the black birds cease to fly,
murmurations swirl through the sky.
Mesmerized, I let out a sigh,
applauding as they shapeshift by.
Before shadows merge into one,
twilight drinks the last of the Sun.
And though Dusk has barely begun,
a rising moon won't be outdone.
Before darkness slowly descends,
silhouettes merge as daylight ends.
Introduction
The pleasure of reading a quatorzain often begins in the shadow of the sonnet. A reader senses a familiar scale and expects some kind of concentration, turn, or decisive ending, yet the poem may refuse the sonnet's usual architecture. That tension makes side-by-side reading especially rewarding. One poet may shape the fixed span into a miniature argument, another into a scene, confession, meditation, character sketch, or sequence of sharply connected images.
As you read the community poems, notice how much variety can exist within the same limited space. Some writers may create audible pattern through rhyme or meter, while others rely on syntax, recurring sounds, visual arrangement, or tonal contrast. A poem may pivot near its middle, reserve its deepest change for the final lines, or resist an obvious turn altogether. The fourteen-line boundary can produce compression without requiring uniformity: poets must decide what deserves expansion, what can remain implied, and how much weight the ending should carry.
Reading beyond the first example reveals choices that an isolated poem cannot fully expose. Compare where different writers place their emotional pressure, how they manage the inherited expectation of sonnet-like closure, and whether the last line resolves or complicates what came before. Browsing the poems in this collection turns the form from an abstract pattern into a field of possibilities. Each interpretation helps clarify which effects belong to the shared frame and which arise from an individual poet's voice, subject, and sense of timing.
Reading Guide
A useful way to read a quatorzain is to hold two possibilities in mind at once: the poem may invite sonnet-shaped expectations, but it is not obligated to satisfy them conventionally. The fixed span creates an implicit promise that something will be gathered, altered, or brought into focus before the poem ends. As you compare several poets' approaches, attend less to whether every poem resembles a traditional model and more to how each writer uses limited space to control pressure, proportion, and release.
- Locate the poem's center of gravity. Notice which line, image, or statement seems to organize everything around it. Because the poem has little room for digression, a strong center can make varied material feel intentional. When comparing community poems, ask: where does each poem reveal what it is truly about?
- Track the turn, including subtle turns. A shift may occur through argument, memory, tense, speaker, image, or tone rather than through a conspicuous transition. The placement of that change determines how much space remains for consequence. Ask: does the poem pivot early enough to explore the change, or late enough to create surprise?
- Listen for chosen sound patterns. Even without a strict scheme, repeated vowels, consonants, end sounds, and sentence rhythms can bind the poem together. Freedom makes these choices more audible because they need not be automatic. Ask: which sounds recur, and do they intensify the subject or merely decorate it?
- Examine proportion and pacing. Compare the space devoted to setup, development, and closure. Long sentences can carry thought rapidly across line endings, while short statements can make individual moments feel final. Ask: where does the poem slow down, and what receives emphasis as a result?
- Watch the dialogue between line and sentence. A line ending can suspend meaning, produce ambiguity, or give an ordinary word unusual weight. In a compact poem, weak lineation becomes conspicuous. Ask: what changes when the eye pauses before the grammar does?
- Test the ending against the opening. Final lines may answer the beginning, reverse it, deepen it, or leave a productive disturbance. The inherited expectation of a shaped conclusion gives closure special pressure. Ask: does the ending feel prepared without becoming predictable, and does it alter how you remember the first lines?
After reading one poem, return to the same questions with several others. Differences in turning point, sound, proportion, and closure will show how widely poets can interpret the quatorzain while preserving its characteristic concentration.
Writing Tips
Begin a quatorzain with material that can undergo meaningful change within a compact frame. A static description may work if perception deepens, but the form becomes more compelling when an image, belief, relationship, or emotional condition is different by the end. In workshop, treat the limited span not as a container to fill but as a pressure system: every line should either establish, complicate, redirect, or release that pressure.
- Choose one governing tension. Select material with two forces in contact: desire and restraint, memory and present fact, appearance and knowledge, intimacy and distance. A single tension can generate enough movement without requiring an elaborate plot. If your subject needs extensive background, isolate one scene or decision that carries the larger story.
- Draft past the boundary before compressing. Writing more than you need can uncover the poem's real subject. On revision, keep the images and statements that participate in the central movement. This method is often more fruitful than stretching a thin idea merely to complete the expected span.
- Let structure emerge from thought. Decide where the poem naturally changes direction, then shape its pacing around that moment. Do not insert a dramatic pivot only because readers may anticipate one. A quiet grammatical shift, a newly noticed object, or a change in address can create a more convincing turn than an announced revelation.
- Use freedom selectively. Irregular rhyme, meter, stanza grouping, or syntax can feel expressive when each variation has a purpose. Too many unrelated freedoms may make the poem seem accidental. Establish one or two audible or visual principles, then let departures signal emotional disturbance, acceleration, or altered understanding.
- Avoid inherited sonnet language. The form's proximity to the sonnet can tempt beginners toward ornamental diction, generalized declarations, or forced end words. Use language native to the speaker and subject. If rhyme requires an unnatural inversion or a vague abstraction, revise the sound pattern rather than sacrificing credibility.
- Give images more than decorative work. An image should develop, collide with another image, or acquire a changed meaning after the turn. In so little space, several unrelated comparisons can compete for attention. Choose an image system capable of carrying both the poem's surface scene and its emotional argument.
- Control the final two lines without overloading them. An ending need not provide a moral, summary, or clever reversal. It can narrow the focus, reopen a question, or return to an earlier detail with changed significance. Beware of explaining an implication the poem has already made available to the reader.
- Read aloud for hidden mechanics. Listen for monotonous sentence lengths, accidental jingles, repeated filler words, and pauses that fight the syntax. Then ask another reader where the poem seems to turn and which line remains in memory. If the answers differ from your intention, decide whether that difference enriches the poem or exposes unclear shaping.
During final revision, inspect the draft in separate passes. First test its emotional and intellectual movement; then refine line endings and pacing; next strengthen the sound relationships; and finally remove images or explanations that dilute the center. Formal compliance cannot rescue a poem whose language feels forced, but a purposeful sequence of fourteen lines can make concentrated experience feel inevitable.
Interesting Facts
- Freedom increases the burden of choice. Without one compulsory sonic or stanzaic route, every rhyme, pause, grouping, and rhythmic recurrence looks more deliberate. The quatorzain may therefore be harder to shape convincingly than a stricter form whose rules make several decisions in advance.
- Readers may hear a sonnet even when none is performed. The poem's scale can awaken expectations of argument, turn, and closure. A poet can cooperate with those expectations, delay them, or quietly frustrate them, creating effects that depend on literary memory without copying a traditional design.
- The same late turn can produce opposite emotions. A revelation near the end may feel exhilarating when it opens the poem outward, or devastating when it withdraws an earlier certainty. Placement alone does not create the effect; diction, pacing, and the amount of preparation determine its emotional force.
- Irregularity becomes meaningful against local pattern. A single shortened line, broken rhythm, or unrhymed ending gains power when the surrounding poem has established a recognizable habit. Without that local expectation, the variation may pass unnoticed rather than register as emphasis.
- Closure can be audible rather than argumentative. A poem does not always need to solve its central tension. Repeated sounds, a slowing cadence, or the return of an opening image can make the ending feel complete while leaving the underlying question alive.
- Comparison reveals hidden architecture. When you browse the poems in this collection, one writer's stanza divisions may highlight another writer's unbroken momentum; one emphatic conclusion may clarify the restraint of another. Reading several interpretations helps distinguish purposeful flexibility from choices that have not yet been fully developed.
Popular Themes
Subject matter and form affect one another: the quatorzain's compact reach favors material that can be concentrated without becoming simplistic. Its association with sonnet-like expectation also gives poets a useful background against which to affirm, question, or revise familiar emotional narratives. The themes below are literary possibilities rather than statistical rankings of the community collection.
- Love under revision. Instead of merely declaring affection, a poet can begin with one understanding of a relationship and end with another. The limited span suits a remembered gesture, unresolved exchange, or recognition that complicates conventional romantic closure.
- Grief and continuing presence. Grief often moves between absence and vivid recollection. A compact poem can hold one object, place, or sensory detail long enough for it to change from evidence of loss into a form of connection-or the reverse.
- Choice and moral hesitation. The form offers room to establish a dilemma, test its pressures, and arrive at a decision or sharpened uncertainty. A turn can mark the moment when private desire meets consequence.
- Nature as an instrument of thought. Weather, seasons, animals, and landscapes work well when they do more than provide scenery. An observed change in the natural world can guide the poem's shift in perception without requiring an explicit lesson.
- Memory and altered perspective. A past scene can be presented first as it was experienced and then as it is understood now. Changes in tense, address, or image allow the poem to dramatize the distance between the remembered self and the present speaker.
- Identity and self-address. The bounded space can intensify a speaker's conversation with a former, hidden, or imagined self. A poem may move from assertion to doubt, from public language to private admission, or from imposed labels toward a more individual voice.
- Ordinary moments with concealed stakes. A meal, commute, household task, or brief encounter can support a larger emotional movement when concrete details carry implication. The quatorzain's concentration encourages poets to reveal significance without abandoning the immediate scene.
As you read the community poems, compare works that approach similar subjects. Notice how different writers select the decisive moment, position the turn, and choose between resolution and productive uncertainty. Shared themes become distinct poems through differences in voice, imagery, pressure, and closure.
Editorial Insights
The quatorzain's central artistic tension lies between recognizability and freedom. Its scale suggests purposeful architecture, often carrying the distant resonance of the sonnet, yet it does not supply a single reliable blueprint for achieving that purpose. A technically recognizable draft can therefore remain shapeless: it may stop at the expected boundary without having created an internal reason to end there. A memorable poem makes its span feel necessary because the thought, scene, or emotional movement has been proportioned to reach exactly that degree of completion.
Strong examples usually establish an organizing pressure early. This need not be a stated argument; it may be a troubling image, an unanswered address, an unstable memory, or a contrast embedded in the speaker's voice. As the poem proceeds, each line modifies that pressure. Sound patterns reinforce mood, line endings control disclosure, and imagery gathers associations rather than multiplying at random. When a turn occurs, it feels generated by what precedes it. Even a surprising reversal appears retrospectively prepared, allowing the reader to experience both discovery and inevitability.
Editors and attentive readers notice when structure has been applied from the outside. Predictable pivots can make the poem seem to imitate an idea of sonnet-like behavior rather than follow its own intelligence. Mechanical rhyme may pull diction away from the speaker's natural vocabulary; metrical regularity may flatten emotional distinctions; an emphatic final pair of lines may summarize instead of transform. At the other extreme, complete indifference to pacing and sonic relationship can leave the fixed span feeling arbitrary. Over-explanation is particularly damaging because it consumes the room in which images and implications might resonate. Insufficient development creates the opposite problem: the ending arrives before the poem has earned its change.
Individuality remains visible through the poet's management of expectation. One writer may build a lucid argument and then disturb it with an image; another may allow a fragmented scene to become coherent only at the end. A restrained speaker can make a small tonal alteration momentous, while an expansive voice may use syntactic momentum to resist neat closure. Comparing multiple community poems develops judgment because quality cannot be reduced to one pattern. Read for the relationship among subject, voice, movement, and ending. The most persuasive quatorzains do not merely occupy their frame; they make that frame an active participant in how the poem thinks and how the reader remembers it.
Read, Write & Share
Read several community poems before settling on an impression of what the quatorzain can do. Compare how poets distribute attention, manage the shadow of sonnet expectations, shape a turn, and bring the final line into focus. A thoughtful comment might identify an image that changed meaning, a particularly effective pause, or an ending that invited a second reading.
Then try composing your own interpretation. Choose material that can deepen or change within the form's concentrated span, revise until the structure feels earned, and publish the finished poem on PoetrySoup. Your approach can add another voice to the continuing conversation among these poems.
Collection Statistics
This collection contains 30 poems, offering multiple interpretations to read beside one another. Its size allows visitors to compare differences in voice, pacing, imagery, sound, turning points, and closure without assuming that one example represents every possibility. As you browse, remember that poets may follow familiar conventions, adapt them to the needs of a particular subject, or challenge reader expectations while retaining the quatorzain's concentrated frame.
Quatorzain Categories
Definition | What is Quatorzain in Poetry?
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.