Inspiration
Try a quatrain today and see if it restricts or liberates — or some combination.
A quatrain is a four-line poem that can have the same number of syllables in each line to create rhythm. You might try an end-rhyme pattern like abab, aabb, abba, or abcb. The fifth line to could follow the syllable and rhyming pattern or not.
Here is an excerpt from a longer poem made up of quatrains; notice each line has 6-7 syllables, and the end-rhyme is abcb (i.e., bank and sank rhyme):“Life is Fine” by Langston Hughes
I went down to the river, a
I set down on the bank. b
I tried to think but couldn’t, c
So I jumped in and sank. b
Guidance
Here are some ideas for your quatrain. If you need help with rhyming, try this site. (I really hope some of you choose the last option):
- What made you smile today?
- Can you tell me an example of kindness you saw/showed today?
- Did anyone do anything silly to make you laugh today?
- Did anyone cry today?
- Did you tell anyone “thank you” today?
- What made you laugh today?
- Tell us something you know today that you didn’t know yesterday.
- Teach us something we don’t know.
- What kind of person were you today?
- What made you feel loved today?
- If you switched places with your principal or administrator on the first day of school, what would you say or do with your staff/faculty?
Sarah’s Poem
existing but resisting joining the world with my mind
eyes opening, fingers telling, mouth uttering absence
too many minutes in pairs, groups ,bodies intertwined
deplete energy, snag speech until solitude ignites sense
once again
*Okay, I needed one more line. It’s a quatrain plus one but not really a cinquain.
Post your writing any time today. If the prompt does not work for you today, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Below are some suggestions for commenting with care. Oh, and a note about edits: The comment feature of this blog (and many blogs) does not permit edits. Since we are writing in short bursts, we all are understanding (and even welcome) the typos that remind us we are human.
I read a student’s essay recently that was supposed to compare and contrast the experiences of two characters from different texts. However, they referenced three texts in their essay and their pronouns were all over the place and they didn’t always get the characters’ names right and the details were all wrong. One more reason we have them turn in rough drafts.
“Much Ado to Kill a Mocking Night”
An essay turned in with many mistakes,
Like calling he “she” and her Father “it.”
The chance that they read the novels is slim.
I started to laugh, and don’t think I’ll quit.
Weighing the Day
Sierra drew a penis on the table
Savanna dropped an F-bomb in the hall
Then little Eva broke the iPad cable
And Maycie stuck her gum against the wall.
But Grace and Kayla each read 50 pages
And Zoey’s poem blew the class away
Renae and Jill discussed the text like sages
So all in all I’ll say a dandy day.
Once again I feel like I’m soulmates with a fellow poet. I admire how you can overlook the negatives and focus on the positives. Some days that is a struggle for me.m, but you’re reminding me that it’s doable, Allison. Thank you!
Allison,
That first stanza made me smile, and the second one felt like a hug. You captured the totality of teaching w/ it’s “oh, no” moments and its “I love this job” successes. A few years ago a colleague’s son drew a penis on a computer screen. He was in AP Lit!
Allison, this is the story of our lives in two quatrains. So bizarre how the little darlings can be total stinkers and the next thing we know, we are surrounded in scholarly sweetness! Love your poem.
Allison- I absolutely love this! In fact, you have to send this to the English Journal! They should publish this. It’s utterly lyrical and delightful! I so love it! Susie
I love the rose-colored glasses you wear to read my poems :-). XO
Tough day. I only have four lines in me right now!
My mood changes like the Chicago weather in November
It’s happening more often than I can ever remember
I wonder, I doubt, I question if it’s time to retire
But then after a lesson a child says, “Daley, you’re on fire!”
Ah, that’s great, MO! Your still making a big difference! Hearing kids’ honest validations —well, that’s just restorative and good. Loved your lines! Susie
I like the contrast of the mood changes alongside the freezing/fire imagery. Thank you for putting your vacillation into words. Glad your day ended on the upswing! 🙂
Dear Mo,
I’m sorry the day was rough, but look at you and these fabulous lines. They certainly capture my state of mind those last few years and even now as I think about what I’m missing as a retired educator. Love the image of Chicago weather. Thank you for pushing through and being here today.
The Struggle Is Real
I keep on going up a size
And now my clothes do not fit me
The only thing the same’s my eyes
I haven’t run in months, you see
I haven’t watched my diet much
My “counting points” has not occurred
For lunch I just eat such & such
These hips are nothing but absurd!
My stress level is off the chain
I can’t quit work – I need the funds
Which maybe helps excuse weight gain
I just can’t keep on gaining tons
The change is up to me to make
I need to do some exercise
I must stop eating junk like cake
And lower stress would be advised
I think I’ll start today at six
I’m really not sure when is best
Monday noon may be my pick
Will my willpower stand the test?
HAHAHA — Kim, this feels like an Ode to Susie! LOL! I feel your pain. Putting this plaint in quatrains seems utterly fitting in that the rhythm of it adds to the sense that this is a refrain most of us have heard and felt again and again. My favorite part is the last quatrain with the hint that you’re “really not sure” if this struggle is ready for action. It brings to mind Glenda’s “Procrastination” poem this week (Monday). If only we could never have to fret about this…yet, it’s been something I’ve battled for decades, and no sooner than I hit my “desired” weight do I then get revved up on baking and kitchen time and fall into all the temptations all over again. And food network — it’s food porn! LOL! I enjoyed this honest poem. For what it’s worth, I totally measure you by the words you write and not the thumbprint picture. 🙂 Susie
“Food Network is food porn.” You got that right, which is why I watch HGTV and the Great British Baking Show. Nothing on that show looks appetizing.
Are you living in my head!!?? The cadence lifts the lament to a new level, formalizing the thoughts we all have! ?????
Oh, Kim! Yes, the struggle is real. Your diction expressed this so vividly: chain, funds, gain, tons, stop, lower, counting, absurd. The quatrain form and rhyme scheme impact the tone by offering some hope in the whimsical abab, but, there is no doubt that it is a struggle to find time and energy to nurture our bodies like we do the hearts of our students.
This made me literally laugh out loud! Love the truth in this
Kim,
You’re my sister in the weight loss wars. I, too, tired of counting points. I don’t like math anyway. And can we talk about what menopause does to our weight. ? I exercise a lot, but it never seems like it’s enough. My latest attempt at losing weight involves fasting. I read a book recommended my one of my PTs. I still think about food All. The. Time. Now I want cake after seeing the word in your poem, but I’m in fasting mode. Thank you for channeling my inner diet voice. Love the poem.
I have the last of 3 sisters who were all students of mine. Every single one of them represented what great scholars are. Today, we were looking at a short video clip about Jackie Robinson that showed a picture of the Little Rock Nine. My students had studied Ruby Bridges but noticed that the young lady in the picture couldn’t have been Ruby, she was too old. My student said, “It’s a picture from Little Rock Nine.” I was flabbergasted and asked how she knew that. She said she read all about it. This girl just melts my heart with her passion for reading and learning. So that made me smile today and this one’s for Camille!
This One’s For Camille
She’s my fourth grader who loves to read
A joy to teach and an answered prayer
To know that a book is all she needs
Cozy and calm in my bean bag chair.
Oh, the comfort I feel in reading this quatrain! Camille is sitting where I want to be – in a cozy spot with a book.
Stacey — I love honoring Camille and her curious mind. Writing this tribute to her is priceless. Make sure you give her Mama a copy! So many wonderful little learners out there! I’m so glad you took the time to honor Camille. I feel honored to know a little bit of her. Thank you! Susie
Thank you for introducing us to Camille. I am seeing a pattern in your poetry now, Stacey. You are so welcoming of others into your verse and it is clear how the people in your life have impacted you and how you have impacted them. “to know that a book is all she needs.” Amen.
Wow! Hugs and high-fives to Camille…and to you for honoring her with a poem. I’ll bet she’d love to have it.
Stacey,
This is a wonderful story. I love the way children’s lit is teaching history. What a gold rush of good books students have. We have “Warriors Don’t Cry,” Melba Pattillo Beals’s memoir, in our book room . It was one of my favorite books to teach sophomores.
The world needs more Camilles! Then maybe we would all be able to enjoy a book and a bean bag chair (and some rhymes, because these are delightful).
QUATRAIN TIMES FIVE
Sarah made me laugh today,
her “plus one” honest, fair;
her quatrain ferried through the fray
with writer rhymes and care.
A selfless act these teacher hours,
in-out we barrel through,
planting seeds of learning flowers,
despite a frenzied brew
of wanting solitude, a nap,
while in between we guide
inquiring minds, we run the lap,
exhausted from the ride.
Today required an extra line
to get the job done right;
Sarah’s shift of rule was fine —
wise teachers aren’t uptight.
A bigger picture they do see;
they’ve logic in their bones;
black-and-white you might agree
are rigid, boring tones.
So add that phrase or cut that word
do what you need to do;
poetic forms — lines can blur —
at end, it’s up to you.
–Susie Morice
Susie!!! Thank you for permitting me to relax my brain and just write! I have attempted several quatrains today and hated them. Maybe I should be more kind to myself since “wise teachers aren’t uptight” right? I love your quatrains times 5!
Susie,
I’m officially jealous I did not think of this topic, a right smart tribute to our tireless host, Sarah. I love the nods to others’ poems, too (reference to exhaustion and choices teachers make, for example). “Do what you need to do” should be the mantra of all teachers. Sarah knows the rules, but aren’t rules made to be broken? How would we ever acquire new forms and make room for the brilliance of breaking and redefining those rules. ❤️ your quatrain X 5.
My favorite part:
of wanting solitude, a nap,
while in between we guide
inquiring minds, we run the lap,
exhausted from the ride.
YES, everyday – exhausted from the ride. The older I get, the more exhausted I am! I love that you incorporated Sarah’s poem at the beginning and in the end left the reminder that the creativity is up to the writer. I agree with Sarah – sometimes writing is all about the honesty of the challenge and the pause it gives us!
It’s good to have permission to do what I already did! Love reading your poetry, Susie! Thank you!
Susie! Thank you for working my name into your verse today. I had to read it a second time to recognize the conversation you started with me and my poem. Love this. I can imagine students having conversations in verse during class a way of responding to others. Hmmm, maybe that should be a prompt some day. Day 2 responds to day one poems.
I love how your poem builds off of Sarah’s poem. This monthly challenge has become such an entwined, sharing, supportive writing community, and your response to Sarah highlights this. LOVE.
Twelve years ago I ruptured a disc running a 10K. Since then I’ve developed two additional bulging discs. This past summer I finally sought treatment, which is the inspiration for my poem.
*I took my cue from the Langston Hughes example being part of a longer poem comprised of quatrains.
“Aching Body“
My hips aren’t in alignment
My muscles are too tight
They keep me in confinement
And preclude my sleep at night.
The years I carry with me
Exact a painful toll.
Retraining is the key
Pain free is now my goal.
To PT I now travel
Three days a week at least
Muscled knots to unravel
New lease on life bequeathed.
Though time I can’t rewind
Nor years unfurl like flags.
Internal strength I find.
My spirit rarely sags.
—Glenda Funk
Oh, Glenda. I love your determination here. So sorry the discs are not cooperating. Of only our bodies would work like our verse, well, maybe they are. Your treatment, your unraveling, your “new lease”–well that is poetry in motion (hopefully pain-free).
Oh, Glenda — I can just hear you in this quatrain fest! You are, indeed, a spirited soul. I cringe, though, at the aches you are accruing from those discs. Running a 10K! Gads, what a woman! The aftermath of “…precluding sleep” and “muscles knotted” and “exacting a toll.” Geez…none of that is easy…I’m feeling that pain through your well chosen words. I hope that PT keeps on working. Our bodies are amazing. I’ll remember this when I crawl out of bed in the morning…I get slower all the time. Dang! But…never say die! We have a whole lot of livin’ to do, and you made a decided dent in that list this past summer and fall! Loved thinking of you out there in Greece and Austria… and all over the place. Thanks, Susie
Glenda, I so love your poem! I, too, tend to sustain injuries and have to sit out awhile and then
Start, stop, start, stop…..your rhymes are fun and remind me that I have company when it comes to pain precluding sleep at night!
Glenda, I am currently leaning on a heating pad waiting for my muscle relaxant to kick in. Kindred backs? A good reflection on the joys of our situations!
More respect for the Bard than ever! Writing quatrains that retain an even rhythm AND rhyme takes time! Here’s my response to “What made you smile today?”. Sarah didn’t ask what made you sweat today. That would be a poem about writing this quatrain! 🙂
She called to say she really likes my book and wants to tell
The local college profs about my book.
Of course, I feel real proud and yes, my head will likely swell,
My face aglow and with a “You have done it!” look.
Anna,
This made me smile, too. Congratulations! Sounds as though some book sells are in your future!
Oh, congratulations, Anna! Way to go! Getting a book out there— be proud indeed! Susie
Hooray! Congratulations on the good news, which is very well-deserved! Swell all you want!
How awesome, Anna! You make me want to get a call like that. Congratulations!
I knew the quatrain would be a struggle for me today because I always struggle with concision. I chose to write about a moment that happened to me in class today. I was in a second grade classroom and one of my students who I provide language support for came up to me while I was checking another student’s worksheet. He leaned back against my arm and I gave him a hug. It was a cool moment for me because he is finally beginning to warm up to me.
Gap teeth and a little boy –
He smiles and leans on me.
I loop my arm around his back
His comfort is plain to see
While checking for accurate use of ee
Kindra,
This is a beautiful moment celebrating a teacher’s love and gentle instruction. Some superb diction in your poem: “loop,” “leans” are my favorite.
Warm and touching. I was able to watch your scene as it evolved. I also loved the last line bringing it back to education. Lucky students!
Kinda — This made me smile all over. How utterly sweet. I really loved the sensory image of “loop my arm around this back”…. little kid hugs are so nourishing for a teacher. Well, for anyone really. I get no sense of struggle as I read this…well done! Susie
Kindra, though you say you struggle with concision, it’s clear you balance that with compassion. It glows through your poem. Your young man’s memory of learning to read will be warmed by his memories of you helping to achieve this skill. Good work!
Poets are the lucky ones because they not only notice these moments, they get to mold them into little works of art for sharing. Thank you.
for his birthday on sunday
i bought my husband airpods
now he think he bad, acts
like he hears me and just nods
Adorable, Kekai. Love this snapshot of you and your husband and the impact of your gift…that comma before “acts” says it all
Kekai–a slice of life. love “he thinks he bad, acts lke he hears and just nods” My husband is 71, and selectively uses his hearing as an excuse….
Kekai,
Your quatrain paints such a strong image of your husband, AirPods in ears, head bobbing. Fun image.
Kekai, I can see this so clearly. I am cracking up over here because “now he think he bad” is on point!! Love it. Now let’s hope he doesn’t lose them. Then you can say, “Who bad how?” So cute.
Kekai — I am laughing out loud. This is just a total giggle. Fun lines! Susie
“He think he bad” is the cherry on top. I love this – you nailed the image of him and his bad self sitting there nodding at you.
Four lines was simply not enough. Needed an additional couplet!
A Sock? Please Let It be a Clean One!
“ Put a sock in it”, my dad used to say
And we knew we were done yelling for the day.
The reality of the phrase is gramophone-based
With no volume control, a wool ball was placed
In the gramophone’s ”throat”
Loud music’s antidote.
Ooh, love this imagery and the sock phrase at the beginning ending with a sock in the gramophone.
Gayle,
The quoted cliche from your father is a wonderful beginning leading to this image of a father’s influence on his children. The rhyme is wonderful, and I love the image of a gramophone and the last two lines reinforce the image.
Gayle — this was a common phrase in my household growing up as well. I thoroughly enjoyed that splash of history. I like the idea of a gramophone having a “throat.” Susie
Good morning Sarah! Ahhhh, this poem is completely me today. My morning alarm chimed an HOUR after I had been awake staring at the ceiling in total exhaustion. Always contemplating absence yet who does that just because they’re tired? Not teachers!
I’m sick of thinking.
I don’t want to differentiate instruction today.
I don’t want to plan.
I am the epitome of “existing but resisting” and I need that “solitude to ignite sense” REALLY SOON!
Love this poem. Looking forward to writing since it isn’t going to keep up late tonight. Maybe this one I’ll actually write before the bell rings at 8:30.
Stacey,
I feel your exhaustion. I taught 38 years, and exhaustion is the reason I retired, love the kids, the planning, the teaching, the camaraderie. I was just too tired to continue.
You just confirmed why I need to seal the deal and be finished in 3 more years, that’ll give me 38. I was aiming for 40 like my mom did, but I am WORN to FRAZZLES!
We need a system that gives teachers sabbaticals like professors have.
Stacey — Hang in there! A bit of resistance is a healthy thing. 🙂 Susie
Sarah — You are just too fun… when I got to the end, I literally chuckled out loud at your “Okay, I needed one more line…” confession. That’s something about this forum that is spot-on: it’s honest and reminds us that we are teachers, after all, and we are real writers who sometimes need a “plus one” to take us where our keyboard fingers want to go. Now, as for the poem, I really felt the movement from being in your own world’s peaceful place to being in the teacher race of “bodies” and “pairs” and “groups.” and then back to “solitude.” I love how so few words, carefully chosen, move us in and out and in very different places so effectively. And even more this feels like a solid tribute to the resilience of teachers. Thanks for offering us another creative challenge! Susie
PS. It’s 13 degrees here again this morning, and I salute all those who are “resisting” but still “joining the world” today in the name of kids and learning.