Diamante poem
A diamante poem, or diamond poem, is a style of poetry that is made up of seven lines. The text forms the shape of a lozenge or diamond (◊). The form was developed by Iris Tiedt in A New Poetry Form: The Diamante (1969).[1][2]
Description
A diamante poem is a poem that makes the shape of a diamond. The poem can be used in two ways, either comparing and contrasting two different subjects, or naming synonyms at the beginning of the poem and then antonyms for the second half for a subject.
In the poems, the subject is named in one word in the first line. The second line consists of two adjectives describing the subject, and the third line contains three verbs ending in the suffix ing which are related to the subject. A fourth line then has four nouns, again related to the subject, but only the first two words are related to the first subject. The other two words describe the opposite subject. The lines then are put in reverse, leading to and relating to either a second subject or a synonym for the first. Here is the order:[3]
Noun
Adjective-Adjective
Verb-Verb-Verb
Noun-Noun-Noun-Noun
Verb-Verb-Verb
Adjective-Adjective
Noun
Other forms or structure may also tend to have the middle line provide a phrase or description to the first line and seventh line:
Line 1: Beginning subject
Line 2: Two describing words about line 1
Line 3: Three doing words about line 1
Line 4: A short phrase about line 1, A short phrase about line 7
Line 5: Three doing words about line 7
Line 6: Two describing words about line 7
Line 7: End subject
Examples
Here are four examples:
Mountain Kitten
High, rocky Soft, cute
running, looking, hiking Snuggling, purring, licking
Eagle, power, fear, rabbit meow, hiss, bark, growl
Living, moving, making-noise running, chasing, biting
Deep, beautiful fluffy, smooth
Valley puppies
love
joyous, painful
meeting, exploring, forgetting
taking your breath away, burying your soul deep
remembering, crying, feeling
gone, alone
sorrow
DAY
Sunny Bright
Playing Sweating Burning
Sun Light Darkness Moon
Scaring Setting Sleeping
Black Stars
NIGHT
Notes
- ↑ Tebo, Cindy. "Kalliope Poetry Form Exercise: Diamante". Kalliope Poetics. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
- ↑ "A New Poetry Form: The Diamante". Education Resources Information Center. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
- ↑ http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/diamante-poems-30053.html