Monosyllabis

Versus monosyllabis et coepti et finiti ita ut a fine versus ad principium recurrant

RES hominum fragiles alit et regit et perimit FORS
FORS dubia aeternumque labans: quam blanda fovet SPES
SPES nullo finita aevo: cui terminus est MORS
MORS avida, inferna mergit caligine quam NOX
NOX obitura vicem, remeaverit aurea cum LUX
LUX dono concessa deum, cui praevius est SOL
SOL, cui nec furto in Veneris latet armipotens MARS
MARS nullo de patre satus, quem Thraessa colit GENS
GENS infrena virum, quibus in scelus omne ruit FAS
FAS hominem mactare sacris: ferus iste loci MOS
MOS ferus audacis populi, quem nulla tenet LEX
LEX naturali quam condidit imperio IUS
IUS genitum pietate hominum, ius certa dei MENS
MENS, quae caelesti sensu rigat emeritum COR
COR vegetum mundi instar habens, animae vigor et VIS:
VIS tamen hic nulla est: tantum est iocus et nihili RES.
(Ausonius, Technopaegnion 3)

Verses beginning and ending with monosyllables so contrived that the word which ends one verse makes the beginning of the next

Things that concern man are frail, prospered, guided, and destroyed by Chance – Chance the unstable, ever-changing goddess, who is flattered by fond Hope – Hope, who knows no bounds of time; whose only end is Death – Death the insatiate, who is steeped in infernal gloom by Night – Night, who must yield place on the return of golden Light – Light bestowed by Heaven’s gift, whose harbinger is the Sun – the Sun, who even in their stolen loves beholds Venus and warrior Mars – Mars unbegotten of a father, who is worshiped by the Thracian race – a race of uncurbed folk, with whom every crime is right: – Right bids them offer men in sacrifice: such is their savage wont – wont of a savage and daring folk, all unrestrained by Law – Law, which was founded by the natural sway of Right – Right which is sprung from man’s natural affection, Right which is God’s unerring mind – mind which bedews with heavenly influence the deserving heart – the heart, alive, formed like the globe, the life’s power and its strength: – strength, however, there is none in this: ’tis but a jest and a worthless thing. (tr. Hugh G. Evelyn White)